Only For You
by Chaii-t3a
Summary: "You can run from your past all you want, but it will always follow you. Forever and ever and ever and ever."
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

 **Heeeey~ welcome to my fic!**

 **I've been working on this for a while planning planning planning and planning lol but now I think I am ready to unleash it for all of you to read and possibly enjoy!**

 **So please read, leave a review if you would like~ I know it's only the first chapter but hopefully, it'll grab your attention enough to keep you coming back~**

 **The setting for this is about two years before the beginning of season 1; I have only seen the anime so if there's stuff that happens before the first season during this timeline, then I am not aware so let's pretend that those things didn't happen and therefore this fic does not conflict with the original story.**

 **Anyway, enjoy~!**

* * *

 **Chapter. 1**

She had dark hair; the lighting of the photo revealed that her tresses were, in fact, an espresso brown color, and her round eyes resembled the darker hues of the ocean. Even though the smile on her small face was crooked with an imperfect set of teeth, Akira felt a sense of jealousy while examining the picture on her phone.

Despite the flaws, this girl was cute and would probably arouse some attention on the day she would arrive at Raira Academy. That day was today in fact; only a week after the school year started, and Akira found herself waiting at the entrance of said academy, watching every female figure that passed.

Her dark chocolate eyes looked back at her phone screen, fingers itching to text back a questioning response to the image sent to her… But she couldn't; she didn't have the courage to question the reasoning behind targeting this new student.

Several minutes had passed and a number of bodies entering the academy dwindled down just before the bell rang through the halls alerting everyone that class was going to start. The annoyed student sighed and retreated inside to make her way to homeroom, assuring herself that she would find this new student eventually.

As Akira walked through the halls toward her class, the hateful thoughts began to rumble around in her head. Orihara had sent her that photo, telling her to find this girl and learn everything she could about her… But why? Akira bit her lip as the jealousy reared its ugly head once again and the thoughts of him wanting to know more about such a cute girl had her gut boiling. Orihara was hers and no one else could have him, not even some-

Her thoughts were interrupted when she rounded a corner and collided with someone else. She stood still for a moment and watched as the student stumbled back and dipped their head.

"I'm so sorry."

It was a female student with dark hair. "It's fine." Akira sighed and watched as the student stood up straight to make eye contact. "Wait." She recognized that face; those eyes. "You're new aren't you?"

This comment seemed to catch the young student by surprise and she nodded. "I am…"

"Oh… You just looked... So unfamiliar." Akira smiled sheepishly wondering just how unconvincing she sounded. "Do you need help?"

That crooked smile appeared on the girl's face, "I do, and actually would you mind pointing me in the right direction?"

Upon closer inspection, Akira could see clearly that this new student had olive skin and a dark freckle just above her lip on the right side of her face.

"Of course, and my name is Koizumi Akira by the way."

The new student shared Akira's homeroom which was perfect, and even though she already knew the new student's name, she couldn't help but be completely indulged in the new girl's greeting.

"Hello, my name is Hayashi Mari and I was previously homeschooled in a small town up north so being in such a large school is new to me so please help me out if I look lost." She bowed politely, allowing her long hair to fall over her lithe shoulders and chest.

Flashing that crooked smile again, the class responded with many questions and excited comments until the teacher quieted everyone down before telling Mari to find a seat.

Akira watched as the new girl looked around before locking eyes again and she made her way to the empty desk next to the blonde. They exchanged respectful smiles before the teacher started class; Akira couldn't help but zone out as she inspected Mari through her peripheral vision.

The dark-haired student simply sat up straight with good posture and took notes as the teacher wrote on the board. She appeared to be a regular student who was trying to make a good first impression which was normal. As her observation continued, Akira tilted her head; pretending to scratch her head to get a better look at Mari's chest before directing her eyes back to the front. A triumphant smile crept across her face at the realization that the blonde had her beat at one thing so far; she was always proud of her sizable breasts.

As Akira continued to watch the teacher speak, her thoughts wandered off into what she imagined as the perfect future events that will play out. Soon Akira predicted that Mari would grow comfortable and that was when she would be able to deliver some juicy details to the man she cherished most. Once this was all said and done, Izaya would only have her to observe and not have to worry about him looking at any other women in the meantime.

* * *

Lunch arrived rather quickly and Akira wasted no time to ask Mari if she would like to join her. It wasn't much of a surprise when the petite girl said yes, considering she was new and followed Akira down the hall and up the stairs while all the other students were rushing to their usual meet up spots with their friends.

Akira led Mari to the roof where there were a few groups of friends scattered along the sides of the gates that lined the edges. The group that Akira was going for was the one that other students would not dare come near.

"I'm gonna introduce you to my group," Akira said to Mari as they approached the group of students. "Everyone, this is Hayashi Mari, she's new here."

Only a few were muttering while others stared at the new girl until one of the students in the group stood and placed herself in front of them. She was taller than most of the other female students there with long raven hair tied up in pigtails. Honey colored eyes examined Mari before looking at Akira with a raised brow; her name is Oshiro Kimiko.

Akira leaned in close, "Orihara-kun requested." She whispered before looking over at the oblivious girl next to her, "She seems like a smart student, that's why I figured she would do great with us."

Kimiko tilted her head, "I guess." She sounded unimpressed; obviously disappointed by her frail appearance, then looked over when a male student stepped up.

"Nice meeting you Hayashi-san, my name is Kawaguchi Hayate." He dipped his head and kept his dark brown gaze on Mari's face while showing off his charming smile. Hayate was quite the playboy who was currently involved romantically with Kimiko, despite the fact that he constantly messed around with other female students from this school and others.

Akira had told Kimiko about his involvement with the other girls in this city but she refused to listen or even believe such things. To her, Hayate was the perfect boyfriend who she watched over like a hawk when they were in the same room; otherwise, he did what he wanted so long as she wasn't around.

Akira kept her eyes on Kimiko's annoyed expression as Hayate exchanged a few words with Mari until a curious question escaped the new girl's lips.

"So what kind of group is this?"

Hayate let out a small laugh before running a hand through his dark red dyed hair, "This is a group that welcomes those who are interested and the type of group that will defend anyone we call our own. We practically control the students at this academy and patrol certain parts of the city to let the others know what is ours."

"Like a color gang," Mari replied.

Akira let out a quiet scoff; so this new girl knew stuff about the city already? Even though she is from a small town up north… As that thought crossed her mind, the blonde couldn't help but wonder if maybe there were gangs where Mari was from… She decided to ask later when they were alone.

"Exactly." Hayate nodded, "There are no rival gangs at this academy but they are on the streets but that's okay because we outnumber them and we are far more powerful than they are." He was bragging.

"Who's the leader?"

"So many questions." Kimiko piped in, "How about you stop asking and eventually you'll learn everything you need to know."

Akira let out a sheepish laugh in response to Kimiko's hostility, "What she means is would you like to join us?" She watched as Mari glanced around, her dark blue eyes revealing nothing but curiosity for the possibilities presented to her. It was at this moment that Akira felt another fire being lit from within her chest as a cute smile appeared on the new girl's face.

"Sounds like fun."

* * *

The next few days were uneventful and Akira began to wonder if maybe she was just being impatient during this time having to get to know Mari. They had yet to do the initiation for her official joining of their gang, which Kimiko seemed to not mind at all even though this was something they were supposed to do sooner than later.

During this time, however, Akira took note of how easily Mari made other friends and even joined the track club. The blonde began to wonder if maybe Mari truly was not interested in keeping up with their gang; this was why she felt the need to get her initiation done or else she risked upsetting Orihara.

"We're doing it today after school." Kimiko sighed; Akira had caught her when lunch ended and everyone else was already heading back to class. "You don't need to preach to me about upsetting that annoying crush of yours."

Akira felt her face grow hot and the raven-haired girl began to laugh, "Shut up!"

"C'mon Zumi-chan, you can't get mad at me." Kimiko cooed, "I was the first person you told about your crush on him since middle school."

Akira let out a breathy sigh, "Then is it bad that I don't like the fact that he wants us to watch the new girl?"

Kimiko tilted her head; they were alone on the roof now. "Jealous?" Her honey eyes watched as Akira looked away, "There's nothing wrong with that." She grinned. "Just keep an even closer eye on her if you have to."

* * *

When school ended, Akira made sure to grab Mari before she had the chance to slip away. "You're coming with me today." The petite girl didn't complain as Akira pulled her along to the lockers to exchange their slippers for their street shoes. It was only after this that Mari questioned the reasoning behind Akira's hastiness.

"Today is your initiation." She replied before making her way out of the building.

"Initiation?" Mari followed close before gasping, "Oh! You guys were serious about all that?" A playful smile crossed her face and Akira narrowed her eyes at the small girl.

"Of course," Akira replied simply, "And by end of today, you will be officially apart of the Red Devils."

Mari had placed herself next to Akira as they walked out of the school gates, "So does this mean I get to join you all on your adventures through the city?"

Akira's brows furrowed, "Adventures? I guess you could call them that, so yes." Despite the reality of the situation, she couldn't picture Mari actually doing anything gang related, or anything violent for that matter. She was just too small and oblivious to everything going on. She accepted this route in her life with such ease that Akira began to mull over the inevitable events that would take place after today. Mari would be spending far more time with her; this wasn't too bad considering it was her duty to get to know everything about this new girl, but having to see her so much was starting to get on Akira's nerves.

Usually, when Orihara requested that her group keep an eye on someone, it was because said person was going to be dealt with in ways that resulted in Akira not having to see them ever again. This time, however, he wanted Akira of all people to get close to this girl and find out anything and everything about her. It was too strange. Typically it was a group effort rather than a one on one effort to get close and personal.

"So Koizumi-San, do you have any siblings?"

Mari's question caught Akira off guard, "Huh? Yeah, I have a younger brother. You?" She pushed away her thoughts so she could try to pay attention to the new girl again.

"No, I am an only child."

Akira felt her heart begin to pound; could Mari read minds? Was she purposely trying to give Akira information now? It was the thought of the fact that being able to read minds was impossible that calmed the blonde down and she let out a small breathy laugh which caught the small girl's attention. Desperate to conceal her reason of such relief, Akira blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Explains why you're so weird." She replied followed by a nervous laugh.

Mari just stared at her which made Akira even more nervous but before the blonde had time to apologize, that crooked smile flashed and laughter ensued.

* * *

Initiation consisted of two things; of course nothing too horrible like being beaten into a bloody pulp, but instead a mark on the skin and a task to officially become one of the Red Devils.

The mark was given by and single blade carved into the skin in the same spot as everyone else: Just above the hip on the right side; before this procedure, though, the person would be given a task to complete in order to prove their worth to the gang.

Akira and Mari arrived at the Red Devil's meet up spot which was an abandoned parking garage in the middle of a few old, unoccupied buildings. The walls of the garage were filled with various colored graffiti all of which even Akira had a hard time figuring out what it all said. As they ascended the many ramps, Akira noticed that Mari was completely indulged in the graffiti that greeted them on every level; so the new girl liked this type of art? Or maybe she was trying to appear distracted rather than force small talk? Akira frowned and turned her attention forward as they reached the floor where everyone else would be.

The two were met by many stares from the rest of the group. There were still a few conversations going on as Akira led Mari over to Kimiko and Hayate.

"About time," Kimiko said when she noticed that they had walked up. "We were beginning to think that you weren't interested." She directed her words toward Mari who finally met her gaze.

"Oh don't worry," Mari said simply, "I'm definitely interested." She finished her words with a smile that made Akira feel uneasy.

"Then shall we start?" Hayate spoke up, "I was thinking that your task should be-"

A sudden uproar interrupted the grinning teen and everyone turned their attention to what had the rest of the group excited. As Akira followed the gazes of her fellow gang members, her heart skipped a beat as her eyes met a familiar mahogany stare.

"O-orihara-kun!" She gasped, feeling her face grow hot as he sauntered over to them. She admired how nonchalantly he approached with his hands in his coat pockets and a relaxed smile on his handsome face.

"Well well, it looks like there's a party going on." He spoke carelessly, "why wasn't I invited?" He rested his dark gaze onto Hayate who appeared to grow tense.

"I do not remember calling you." Hayate spoke bluntly, "so what can we do for you?"

"Straight to the point." Izaya sighed as he looked over at the new girl, "I see you have another plaything."

Akira felt her chest grow hot when he looked at Mari who simply stared back at him. "That's Hayashi Mari." The blonde spoke quickly. "A new member."

"Not yet." Kimiko pitched in, very obviously annoyed by Izaya's comment about Mari being Hatate's new plaything. "She's being initiated today."

"Ah, it's nice to meet you Mi-chan." He spread out his arms as if he was about to embrace her in a friendly hug. "My name is Orihara Izaya, but you can call me by my first name."

Akira bit her lip, she had never dared to call him by his first name, even after all these years.

"It's nice to meet you too, Orihara-kun," Mari replied simply while maintaining eye contact and keeping that odd smile on her face.

Akira watched as they seemed to have a bit of a stare off; one that began to make her and the others feel uncomfortable.

An unsettling smile spread across Izaya's face and he let out a small scoff.

"Can we get on with things already?" Kimiko snapped, which in turn caught Izaya's attention and he looked at her.

"Right, that is why I am here."

Akira couldn't help but keep her eyes on Mari as envy filled her entire being. Soon enough, though, she imagined that Miss Hayashi wouldn't be around much longer; there had to be more to Izaya's request to watch her than what he was revealing.

Dark blue eyes suddenly met Akira's chocolate gaze and she quickly looked away; her heart dropped from getting caught staring, but she averted her attention to Izaya as he spoke to Hayate.

"I have a special task!" Izaya's voice echoed through the cement building, "I want you to rough someone up for me." His hands were back inside of his coat pockets. "Or kill him, preferably."

"Who?" Hayate asked.

"Him." A photo was suddenly placed in front of the young man and he took it.

"Who is he?" Questioned Hayate as he looked at the picture.

"Names are not important in this situation." Izaya taunted while waving his hand as if the topic was no longer important, "What is important, however, is that this gets done sooner than later."

Kimiko leaned in to take a closer look at the photo, "He looks familiar."

"He works at a bar, and the location is on the back." The dark haired man then looked over at Mari, "I think it will be the perfect task for a newbie." He chuckled softly before making his exit. "Oh, and-" he turned on his heel to take one last look at the murmuring teens, "Don't disappoint me!"

Akira watched as he continued down the ramp before looking over at Hayate and Kimiko who were quietly discussing their plan. The blonde then looked at Mari, but the petite girl was too busy looking at her nails; a strange smile still on her face.

She decided to take this opportunity to talk to him, the one man she only had eyes for since the day she saw him.

"Orihara-kun!" She was huffing as she finally caught up to him.

Izaya looked over his shoulder through the fur on the trim of his black coat, "Zumi-chan, long time no talk."

"I'm watching Hayashi-san like you requested." Akira spoke eagerly once she was close, "Please tell me why I have to watch her again?"

"Oh silly girl," Izaya sighed, turning his body to face her, "You don't have to do anything."

Akira blinked in response, confused.

"I simply asked you a favor and you accepted." He shrugged," I'm not making you do anything." He let out a small laugh, "You did say that I requested this after all right?"

A sly smile appeared on his face and Akira almost forgot why she was talking to him. "R-right but I just want to know why… Why you asked me to watch her... Is all." She was crumbling the trim of her skirt while speaking to him.

"Why, why, why, so many questions!" The twenty-year-old sighed, "But I understand your curiosity." He had placed himself next to her and rested a hand on her shoulder. "And in time you will find out everything, but for now I cannot tell you why I want you to watch her or else it might ruin the authenticity of my own observation." His free hand pressed against his chest dramatically. "Besides," He let go of her shoulder and took a step forward, "What fun would it be to reveal everything right away, hm?"

Akira frowned, "I understand."

Izaya tilted his head before patting the top of hers, "There, there, everything will make sense in time, just be patient." He then put his hands back into his pockets, "In the meantime, could you do me one more small favor?"

Akira perked up rather quickly, "Anything!"

Izaya's smile grew.

* * *

When Akira returned to the floor where everyone else was, she could see Kimiko watching her, a knowing smile on her snobby face. Mari, on the other hand, was busy playing on her phone, looking rather bored.

"So we know who he is," Hayate spoke when he saw that Akira was back with them.

"What?"

"You know, the guy who Orihara wants us to deal with?" Kimiko responded amused, "It's Heiwajima Shizuo."

Akira blinked as the dreadful realization set in, "What?" She scrambled for words, "I-I had no-"

"Save it for later." Hayate sighed, "hopefully no one dies because of this."

"All because of your crush-"

Feeling her face grow hot, Akira hushed Kimiko who smiled vivaciously in response.

"It's all good though like Orihara said, it's the perfect task for a newbie." Kimiko looked over at Mari who looked up, "You are coming out with me tonight to handle this, got it?"

Akira swallowed dryly, "I should come too."

"No." Kimiko looked at her, "It's time for me to spend some personal time with the new girl since you've been having all the fun around here."

"It would be nice to get to know you better Oshiro-san." Mari was suddenly next to them which spooked Kimiko but she quickly recovered by folding her arms defensively.

"Well, then it's settled." The raven-haired girl stared down at Mari, "Meet me at this address tonight at nine." She handed her the photo of the man who they were going to be dealing with. "Don't be late."

Mari looked down at the photo, examining the man as Akira looked at Kimiko.

"Are you sure I shouldn't tag along?"

"We'll be fine." Kimiko replied simply, "I've got some guys I can bring who will be there to do most of the dirty work." She then leaned in close so that only Akira could hear. "Don't worry, I'll make sure your little project for Orihara-kun doesn't get hurt." She backed away and winked at the blonde who only frowned.

"Do I get to keep this photo?" Mari spoke up.

"It's all yours." Hayate sighed, "I would rather not have to see his face ever again."

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you liked this first chapter! There will be more to come~**

 **So please** **please please** **leave a review, follow, or fav this story~ It'll mean the world to me! (kinda)**

 **Let me know if I'm staying in character with the original characters of this awesome abime~ I'm doing this for fun, but I do like to keep things authentic~**

 **until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

 **Hello again and welcome back to my story~**

 **Hope you enjoyed chapter one and will enjoy this chapter as well~!**

 **P.S. thanks for the follow alyshanelander!**

 **Anyway enjoy! :3**

* * *

Chapter 2.

Seeing her on the rooftop following Akira was enough to piss off Kimiko; who did she bring this time? The new girl was smaller than the others and Kimiko assumed that she was a first year.

"Everyone, this is Hayashi Mari, she's new here."

A few people in the group were muttering while others stared at the small girl so Kimiko stood from her seat and made her way over to get a better look. She quickly examined Mari; secretly admiring her blue colored eyes before looking at Akira and raised a brow.

The blonde leaned in close, "Orihara-kun requested." She whispered before looking over at the girl next to her, "She seems like a smart student, that's why I figured she would do great with us." She said that next part out loud.

Kimiko tilted her head, "I guess." She was unimpressed; this girl looked too innocent and oblivious. It wasn't until Hayate stepped up that Kimiko decided that maybe she should give the girl a chance, of course, not because she believed that Mari would do well, but rather get eradicated.

"Nice meeting you Hayashi-san, my name is Kawaguchi Hayate." He dipped his head and flashed his charming smile.

Kimiko did nothing to hide her annoyance as Mari and Hayate exchanged a few words; imagining the endless possibilities that could result in this little girl getting crushed by the life that Akira was introducing her to.

"So what kind of group is this?"

Hayate let out a small laugh before running a hand through his hair, "This is a group that welcomes those who are interested and the type of group that will defend anyone we call our own. We practically control the students at this academy and patrol certain parts of the city to let the others know what is ours."

"Like a color gang," Mari replied.

"Exactly." Hayate nodded, "There are no rival gangs at this academy but they are on the streets but that's okay because we outnumber them and we are far more powerful than they are."

"Who's the leader?"

"So many questions." Kimiko piped in, "How about you stop asking and eventually you'll learn everything you need to know."

Akira let out a sheepish laugh in response to Kimiko's hostility, "What she means is would you like to join us?"

Kimiko watched as Mari glanced around.

"Sounds like fun."

Kimiko smiled.

* * *

"That's Heiwajima Shizuo." It finally hit her and when Kimiko turned to tell Akira, the blonde was gone.

"Shit." Hayate sighed.

The other members started to whisper and mutter in response to the information presented to them; the looks on their faces were not very impressive.

Kimiko's eyes then landed on Mari who was looking at her nails, "It's okay I have an idea." She grinned, "This will be the perfect task to prove if she is worth having join us."

"I thought she was only here because of Orihara." Hayate whispered, "So is there really a point?"

"Of course, and he had the right idea." Kimiko flipped the picture over and snapped a photo of the address to save for later, "He wants us to learn everything about her, then let's see how she does in this type of situation."

Hayate frowned, "Alright I'll ask for volunteers then."

"No need." The raven-haired teen waved a hand at him, "I have some people we can use." She then looked over as a moving figure caught her attention; it was Akira returning from drooling over Izaya like always, so she smiled at the blonde as she approached.

"So we know who he is," Hayate spoke when he saw that Akira was back with them.

"What?"

"You know, the guy who Orihara wants us to deal with?" Kimiko responded amused, "It's Heiwajima Shizuo."

Akira blinked as the dreadful realization set in, "W-what?" She scrambled for words, "I-I had no-"

"Save it for later." Hayate sighed, "Hopefully no one dies because of this."

"All because of your crush-"

Akira quickly hushed Kimiko who smiled vivaciously in response; it really was not a secret to anyone, but Akira still lived her life thinking that she and Kimiko were the only ones that knew about her love for Izaya.

"It's all good though like Orihara said, it's the perfect task for a newbie." Kimiko looked over at Mari who looked up from her phone, "You are coming out with me tonight to handle this, got it?"

Akira swallowed dryly, "I should come too."

"No." Kimiko looked at her, "It's time for me to spend some personal time with the new girl since you've been having all the fun around here." And potentially get rid of her.

"It would be nice to get to know you better Oshiro-san." Mari was suddenly next to them.

Kimiko jumped slightly but quickly crossed her arms defensively. "Well, then it's settled." She stared down at Mari, "Meet me at this address tonight at nine." She handed her the photo of the man. "Don't be late." Kimiko then caught Akira staring at her.

"Are you sure I shouldn't tag along?"

"We'll be fine." Kimiko replied simply, "I've got some guys I can bring who will be there to do most of the dirty work." She then leaned in close so that only Akira could hear. "Don't worry, I'll make sure your little project for Orihara-kun doesn't get hurt." She backed away and winked at the blonde who only frowned.

"Do I get to keep this photo?" Mari spoke up.

"It's all yours." Hayate sighed, "I would rather not have to see his face ever again."

Kimiko looked at Hayate and softly took hold of his arm, "After tonight, I'll make sure of that."

* * *

It all started a few weeks into their first year of junior high; Akira saw Izaya in the hall and never stopped talking about him. Even after he went on to start his first year in high school the following year; Akira still yammered on about him all day. Kimiko could still recall the look on her face when they finally reached their first year in high school; this is when Akira could see him every day again despite the fact that she would still find time to follow him around like a lost puppy outside of school, but being able to see that guy at the academy made Akira a much happier person.

This was the year Kimiko witnessed just how pathetic her friend was for the young man who merely played her like all the other girls who flocked to his side for comfort. It was at this time that Akira had decided to dye her hair blonde in an effort to appear up to date on the latest fashion trends and such just to try and impress Orihara.

"You do realize that he doesn't really care about you right?" Kimiko and Akira were sitting together on the rooftop of Raira Academy eating their packed lunches; they were first years. "You should find yourself a real boyfriend like me." She flashed her perfect smile.

"If he is a real boyfriend then why do I see him talking to other girls?" Akira retorted, "So if anything he is just like Orihara-senpai."

That comment set a fire deep within Kimiko's chest but she simply let out a breath through her nose. "That's different." She tried to defend Hayate's actions, "He's just trying to recruit more people for our gang."

Akira merely rolled her eyes, "Orihara-senpai said that he told Kawaguchi-kun to start the group, he even told me that I would do well if I joined."

At this point, Kimiko was used to how often Izaya was mentioned in simple conversation with her blonde friend. "So you are going to join us?"

"Only if you're part of it." Akira smiled at the raven-haired teen who nodded in response. "Then I'll join!"

"What color do you think we should rep?" This thought had been on Kimiko's mind for a while and Akira's reply was nothing short of surprising.

"Red." She seemed to have zoned out, "Orihara-senpai's eyes sometimes look red in certain light."

Kimiko scoffed and knocked into Akira's shoulder with her own, "You gonna ask him to marry you or something?" She laughed as Akira's face turned red, which in turn, helped Kimiko make her decision on accepting that color as their own.

* * *

Dressed in all black, Mari approached Kimiko and the group of guys standing behind her smoking. She watched as the petite girl looked both ways before crossing the street only to stumble over the curb; the guys behind Kimiko chuckled at the sight and Kimiko couldn't help but smile. Not the type of smile you would give to a toddler for saying something cute, but rather one of a person who was about to get their way.

"You're on time." She faked her impressed tone which resulted in a smile from the small girl standing before her, "You ready?"

"As ready as I could be," Mari replied simply, not a single ounce of nervousness was showing on her face; this irked Kimiko, but she decided to wait and see how Mari acted once she was face to face with the monster known as Heiwajima Shizuo.

"Then let's go."

Waiting for the target to come outside was rather tedious; the guys Kimiko had brought with her had gone through two packs of cigarettes and Mari only found entertainment in watching people who walked by and chattering about meaningless topics.

Kimiko couldn't help but stare at her, though, growing rather curious herself as to why Orihara insisted on keeping an eye on this girl. It had been a week now and nothing has happened to her; another thought came to mind that had her clenching the metal pipe she had retrieved from her backpack. This thought brought back some unsavory memories of when that annoying bastard that Akira loved so much decided to mess with the love of her life, just to watch him struggle under the path that Izaya had laid out for him and laugh about it.

Perhaps having Mari around was just another one of his many human experiments that he enjoyed playing with so much; just another plaything… Her lips twitched at the thought of that comment.

"Is that him boss?"

Kimiko turned her attention toward the alleyway across the street. "That's him." She replied, "Let's go."

There weren't many people out this late, given that they had been waiting a couple of hours for this man to come out for a smoke break, but this was good; no witnesses to worry about.

When they approached, she could see that Heiwajima had looked up as the men came close with their weapons in sight, but unlike most men, Shizuo just stared at them as he took a drag of his cigarette, appearing indifferent to their presence.

"Heiwajima Shizuo right?" One of the guys spoke.

The blond bartender exhaled the smoke.

"Hey, we are talking to you." Another one of the guys snapped, "What? You too scared to say anything?"

Kimiko watched as Shizuo pushed himself off of the building wall, "I don't have time to deal with guys like you." He took another drag of his cigarette and turned away as if he were about to go inside.

Before he even had the chance to flick his cig away, one of the guys lunged at him and took a swing at the back of his head, breaking the wooden bat he had used.

Unlike most men, who would usually be knocked out cold by such a blow, Shizuo stumbled forward but did not meet the ground like the men had expected. Instead, he reached down and picked up the pair of shades he was wearing and examined the broken lens before standing up straight.

"You know..." He spoke quietly; there was blood trailing down the back of his neck, "If I didn't know any better I would have to say that you were trying to kill me."

He turned around only to be met with another man who had run forward to stab Shizuo in the abdomen; they stood there staring at each other, the fear was quite obvious in the attacker as the blond looked down at the knife. Blood began to seep through his clean white shirt and Shizuo looked back at the man who was on the other end of the knife.

"My little brother bought me this shirt."

The events that played out next had Kimiko in a daze.

The man who stabbed Shizuo was sent flying into the night sky followed by the screams of the one who had hit him in the head. The last two men forced themselves to attempt an attack on the creature before them only to be stopped in their tracks by a trashcan and Shizuo's right fist. It wasn't until the blond looked at Kimiko that she came to the realization that she was in danger and he had his sights on her next, so she did the only thing a sane person would do.

"Take this." She handed over the metal pipe to Mari who looked to be frozen in awe, "Don't stop until he's dead!" Kimiko placed herself behind the small girl and pushed her toward the threat before turning around and booking it down the street.

At first, she could barely catch her breath as she ran as far away from the scene as possible, but as the recollection of what just happened began to play in her mind, her breaths eventually became a fit of laughter. Her legs eventually stopped moving and she found herself leaning up against a building laughing, holding her sides as the success of her actions spilled over her emotions like an overflowing sink.

* * *

The next day Kimiko made her way to the academy; it was Saturday but she had club activities to attend to. She preferred to appear to be a regular student on paper rather than waste the extra days roaming around causing trouble; that was what Hayate enjoyed doing. As she approached the school her phone gave out a ring and she looked at it.

[How did it go? You never text me about what happened?]

It was Akira.

[Heiwajima wrecked my guys... I don't know what happened to Hayashi-san.]

That victorious smile appeared on her face as she went inside and made her way toward the club room. She ran her fingers through her long black hair and imagined just how easy life was going to be with one less threat around her precious Hayate. She looked at her phone again as it rang again and her smile disappeared.

[Hayashi-san is fine. She told me everything this morning when I text her. I can't believe what you did!]

Kimiko's heart sung and she froze in the middle of the hallway, her fingers wouldn't move as she tried to find something to say. Before she had time to think through what her fingers started to type, she hit send.

[Let's meet up so I can explain.]

"Shit." She swallowed the lump that began to form in her throat as tears welled up in her eyes; no one in the group would be able to understand what she did. They would all look at her like she was crazy; her mind was racing with excuses for why she pushed Mari right into the path of a bloodthirsty monster like Heiwajima Shizuo. She could claim that she tripped or that she blacked out from fear… Nothing sounded good in her mind; this was it, she was screwed.

[Sounds good.]

After excusing herself from club activities for that day, Kimiko found herself power walking to the destination that she and

Akira had agreed upon, silently praying that the blonde hadn't told everyone else about what happened. The excuse that she came up with was that she pushed Mari at Heiwajima because she wanted her to prove herself... The only issue was that she didn't know the events that occurred after she had run away. If things got too out of hand, then Kimiko would claim that Mari was a liar; who were they all going to believe? The new girl, or the person who has been there since day one?

That thought gave Kimiko the confidence boost that she needed and she brushed her hair over her shoulders as she walked inside of the cafe that they had decided to meet up at, ready to tell Akira all about what had happened, knowing that her best friend would believe her.

Unfortunately, her confidence was nonexistent the moment she saw who was sitting next to Akira. This person was the reason behind her jumbled thoughts; alive and well, Mari appeared to be enjoying a conversation with the blonde.

Kimiko was about to back out of there but before she had the chance to turn around, her golden gaze locked with Mari's dark blue orbs and soon after, Akira noticed her presence.

Reluctantly, the raven-haired teen walked over, straightening her posture as she examined the expressions on their faces so she could try to access the mood of their conversation.

"Hey." She thought that she would sound assertive, but her voice came out rather shaken.

Akira stared at her and beckoned for the nervous girl to sit before looking at Mari, "You wanted to say something right?" As the blonde looked at Kimiko, there was a genuine smile on her round face which completely threw Kimiko into a world of confusion.

Mari fumbled with the paper cup on the table and made sure to make eye contact as Kimiko looked at her. "Yes, I wanted to say thank you." She bowed her head.

Kimiko blinked at her, completely baffled, "For what?" She didn't bother to hide her confusion anymore.

Mari looked up at her, "For saving me!"

Those words sent Kimiko's brain for a loop and she was tempted to stand up and walk out, but curiosity kept her in place. "S-saving you?"

Mari let out a small laugh, "Did that bartender hit you in the head or something?" She glanced over at Akira who laughed as well.

"Mi-chan said that when Heiwajima finished off your guys, he tried to attack her but you stepped in." Akira explained, "You told her to run, right?" Looking at Mari as if to confirm.

"So I ran away and I thought he killed you." Mari's brows furrowed with worry and Kimiko just stared at them still lost. "I didn't have your number so I text Koizumi-San, and well... Here we are." She then stood up and stepped aside, "I fell while running." She motioned toward her legs; her knees were bandaged and the side of her left leg was also bandaged. "But I'm glad to see that you don't have a scratch." She sat back down with a complacent smile on her face.

The thoughts in Kimiko's mind were telling her to scream and demand that they stop messing with her, but the sincerity in Akira's expression kept her quiet.

"I see." That was all that the teen could say.

"Geez Kimi-chan." Akira scoffed, "Cut Mi-chan some slack, I still think she still deserves a spot in our group."

Kimiko looked at Akira then at the innocent looking newbie before crossing her arms. She wasn't sure what was going on, but Kimiko decided to play along. "I guess I could allow it." After this little meeting was over, Kimiko would pull Mari aside and find out exactly what game she was trying to play.

"Thank you so much!" Mari spoke while pressing her hands together and dipped her head yet again. "I won't disappoint you, again."

At this moment Kimiko saw that Mari's hands were also wrapped up; she was curious about the rest of her body but the small girl had a sweater on. She then locked eyes with Mari; the look in her eyes was not one of true thankfulness but rather the look of someone who just got away with murder. She quickly looked away before hearing Mari speaking excitedly with Akira and Kimiko was left sitting there in silence as her mind began to race with her next plan to get rid of this nuisance.

After a painful hour went by of pointless chatter, Mari excused herself claiming that she needed to get home to finish her homework and studying.

"Again, thank you so much for helping me out last night Oshiro-san." She bowed before smiling at Kimiko and Akira. "We will get that guy next time for sure."

"It's really no big deal," Kimiko replied and watched as Mari waved goodbye before walking away. The teen was about to stand and follow but Akira grabbed her hand from across the table.

"Kimi-chan."

Kimiko looked at her, shocked; Akira looked pretty serious. Was this the moment of truth? Was the blonde going to fess up that they had been playing her all along?

"I also wanted to thank you." Akira said before smiling softly, "I know this must be hard for you to deal with... Accepting random people into the group, especially since you have other people to answer to for everyone's actions." She sighed and averted her gaze, "I thought for sure that Hayashi-san wasn't going to be coming back after last night." She let out a small laugh and looked at her friend again. "So thank you for looking out... I know it wasn't for Hayashi-san's best interest, but for mine instead."

Kimiko stared at her old friend as a pang of guilt hit her hard and her chest began to grow heavy. "Y-you need to stop being so emotional." Forcing a smile, "You know I would do anything for you." The guilt was making her stomach feel uneasy considering the fact that Kimiko had always tried to be one hundred percent honest with her best friend, but this time things were too complicated.

Akira's cheeks gave off a small blush and she let go of Kimiko's hand, "I know, but I want to make sure that nothing bad happens in this group that will fall back on you." She replied, "So from now on Hayashi-san is my responsibility, you shouldn't have to watch over her anymore."

Perhaps Akira didn't really trust her; this thought made Kimiko's lip twitch but she laughed instead. "That's fine with me." She stood and stretched, "I should get going, I left my club activities a little early so I should go home and catch up on today's English lesson." She lifted her hand to wave before turning and taking off.

As soon as she was outside, she looked around but the Mari was nowhere to be found. Kimiko decided to not bother finding her; she was probably long gone by now and there was no point in running around the city; she was better off just going home and so she started walking.

She would have to grab Mari on Monday and question her; why lie about what really happened? If the roles were reversed, Kimiko would have ratted Mari out in a heartbeat... There had to be something more to what that new girl was doing than just simply trying to stay on Kimiko's good side. Or maybe that small girl was trying to create some sort of scenario where Kimiko would owe her a favor for not ratting her out to the group?

"Hey, beautiful."

Kimiko stopped walking and looked over her shoulder at the owner of that all-too-familiar voice; a sweet smile came to her lips once her eyes were set on the young man now standing before her. "Hayate-kun." She reached forward and took his hands, "I didn't expect to run into you today."

He let out a chuckle, "Funny, I seem to be running into a lot of people today."

"What do you mean?"

"I ran into Hayashi-san not too long ago." He replied, "She told me about how you saved her ass from Heiwajima last night." He pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed it softly, "She said that I should do something special for you as a thank you, so what do you say? Wanna go get something to eat? My treat."

Kimiko stared at him, an uneasy smile glued on her face as she nodded in response, unable to truly speak just yet. What kind of game was this girl trying to play? Telling others how to treat her for something she didn't even do. "Did she say anything else?" She blurted out before thinking.

Hayate began to walk, still holding her hand. "Yeah she did mention paying you back sometime for what you did, but when I asked her about it, she said it was a secret."

Kimiko let go of his hand and intertwined her arm with his, "Well then I guess I'll find out when the time comes hm?"

"I think she really likes you." Hayate laughed a little bit, "I'm a little worried that she might try to steal you away from me."

Kimiko kept her eyes forward, that estranged smile still on her face. "I won't let that happen."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter~ This story is quite fun for me to type up so I hope that it is just as fun reading.**

 **until next time! C:**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

 **I wanted to say thank you for the reviews~ I truly appreciate them a lot!**

 **They fuel me... lol jk**

 **anyway here's the next lovely chapter~ enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter. 3

He lived alone, but it was convenient considering the fact that he had a different girl over just about every night from his own academy and others. Hayate knew he was playing with fire and the moment Kimiko caught him in the act, it would be quite the shit show; until that day, though, he decided to keep doing what he did best, and that was play.

The two of them met in junior high when they shared a homeroom; she was the super smart student who he sweet-talked into letting him copy her work multiple times. She was so infatuated with him that she couldn't see that he was just using her, but eventually, she confessed and he accepted her as his girlfriend. Hayate figured that having Kimiko around for a few months couldn't hurt, but no matter how he treated her, she continued to stick around.

It wasn't until high school came around that he regretted accepting her clinginess; he knew that Akira had told her about the things he did behind her back, but hard-headed Kimiko refused to believe anyone, even Orihara.

Perhaps the redhead had gotten lucky, wording his explanation just right to have Kimiko believe his story when Izaya told her that her beloved boyfriend was sleeping around.

* * *

"After all the shit he put me through, he told me that if I didn't do what he said then he would tell you something to make you hate me," Hayate explained after Kimiko had cornered him under the stairwell at the academy over a year ago. "I didn't want to be his pawn anymore so I told him to do whatever he wanted and that's what he told you." His shoulders dropped in defeat, hoping that the fuming girl in front of him would fall for yet another lie.

Why was he even trying to salvage this relationship? Well, there was more to the story that he wasn't willing to admit considering his current position within their gang.

She stared at him, fists clenched and eyes overflowing with tears until she let out a breath and fell into his chest sobbing. "I-I'm s-sorry..."

Hayate frowned, she was getting his uniform wet. "It's okay." He cooed and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, "I'm just glad you didn't fall for his lies like Koizumi-San does." As he pressed his face next to her head he smiled. "I don't want you to ever believe anyone but me from now on." He felt her nod against his chest and he knew from this moment on, she was wrapped around his finger.

* * *

"Hayate-Kun."

He looked over his shoulder at the lower classmen in his bed, "Hey beautiful." He grinned as she rubbed her eyes. "Did I wake you?" He was getting dressed.

"No." She smiled at him, "Where are you going?"

"I have some business to attend to, so you can let yourself out." He slipped on his jacket and made his way over to the door, "Or you can stay and we can have some more fun when I get back."

He never felt bad for doing the things he did, in fact, he felt like a king. He had the daughter of a rich family in the palm of his hand, and any other girl he wanted in his bed. It was perfect; despite the fact that it was partially thanks to Izaya for making these things available for him.

Hayate didn't actuallyhate the info broker, but thanks to the whole fiasco of him having to tell Kimiko that Izaya had lied to her about his infidelity, he had to act like he despised that coat wearing weirdo; when Kimiko wasn't around it was a different story.

* * *

"It would be nice if you didn't make random appearances."

Sitting in front of Hayate now

was the dark-haired twenty-year-old with who he had business to deal with today. They were seated at Russia Sushi; Izaya picked out the location to meet up at, but Hayate assumed that he just wanted someone to eat with. Despite having so much information in that head of his, it was painfully obvious just how lonely Izaya was.

"Oh? Why is that I wonder… Maybe because it's hard for you to keep acting for your little girlfriend hm?"

Hayate sighed, "It does get a little tiring." He tapped his fingers on the table, watching the steam rise from the glass of green tea in front of him. "So what did you need me to do?"

Izaya was admiring the fatty tuna he had ordered as Hayate spoke, "Well since you asked so directly, I can only assume that you have someone waiting for you back home." He grinned, "It would be a shame if little Oshi-chan found out there was someone else in her lover's apartment."

"Oh shut up." Hayate scoffed, "Your little blackmailing didn't work before so it won't work again." Feeling rather cocky, Hayate returned that sly smile back at the info broker. "You're gonna have to find some other way to keep me around you know."

That comment resulted in Izaya sighing in feigned defeat, "Oh no whatever will I do without you around to do my bidding?" He then smiled, "Find another high schooler desperate for a change in scenery? No, no that won't do…"

Hayate rolled his eyes.

"Though, I will admit that finding another high school boy to win over Oshi-chan's heart would be quite the challenge… Given that she hates me and won't listen to a thing I tell her." Izaya had his eyes on the fatty tuna again, "Oh I know! How about I go to her older brother and let him know what you have been doing? I do have quite a lot of evidence…"

"Whatever." Hayate sighed," What do you want?" His fingers were beginning to tap harder on the table.

"Oh right, I did call you here for a reason." Izaya tapped his chopsticks against the plate in front of him as if he had to try and recall the purpose of their meeting. "Now I remember!" He chuckled softly, "I need you to do what you do best with that new plaything in your group."

"Already planned on it," Hayate replied simply giving a little smirk at the thought.

"Look at that! Sometimes I wonder why I still need to tell you how to go about your life." Izaya merely scoffed, "Right, that is because you wouldn't be where you are without me nor would you be able to continue your little game either." He began to eat as Hayate stood. "I often think about what would happen if I stopped giving you advice… Would you succeed? Or would you fail? What do you think?"

"Is that all?" The teen asked, watching as Izaya took a bite of his food and simply waved him off with that mischievous smile on his stuffed face, so Hayate left.

The only reason why Hayate followed Orihara's instructions was that he was always right about the things that would happen; even if it made no sense now, it usually played out well in the end. From starting the Red Devils to ensuring that Kimiko was apart of it and eventually finding his way into her family's lives as well were all part of Izaya's instructions.

"Kawaguchi-kun?"

Assuming it was another one of the many girls he had been with, Hayate turned to face the young lady with a kind smile. "Why hello..." He then realized that it was someone different than who he expected. "Hayashi-san! It's nice to see you outside of school." He kept the smile on his face as he examined her casual attire. Black skirt with a dark teal shirt and brown cardigan; the boots she was wearing had heels that made her just a tad bit taller. "Why are you by yourself?" He then noticed that her legs were bandaged up.

Mari tilted her head slightly in response to his question then let out a small laugh, "Oh I was actually just with Koizumi-san and Oshiro-san." She replied and Hayate felt his heart skip a beat as he nonchalantly looked around just in case Kimiko was somewhere around them.

"You don't say." Once the coast was clear he returned his dark gaze to the small girl before him, "I didn't know you all hung out on our days off… What happened to your legs?"

"We usually don't…" Mari replied before looking down at herself, "Oh they are the reason why I wanted to meet up so I could thank Oshiro-san."

"What for?"

"She saved me from that guy last night." Mari was clutching onto the strap of her purse, "You should take her out for lunch to let her know how special she is." Her eyes wouldn't leave Hayate's, "I would like to repay her sometime myself as well."

"What did you have in mind?"

Mari smiled suddenly, "That's a secret!" She then pulled her phone from her purse, "May I have your number? I might need your help when the time comes."

A cocky smile crossed Hayate's face and he willingly gave his number to her; this would just make things easier later on, "Don't tell Kimi-chan that I gave you my number, I don't want her knowing that I am part of the surprise yet." Of course, that wasn't the real reason why he wanted this to be a secret.

Mari closed her phone after she saved him into her contacts and grinned softly. "Don't worry I won't say a thing." She then looked around, "I should get going, I have some things I need to do." She dipped her head politely, "It was nice seeing you."

"Likewise," Hayate replied before watching her walk away and eventually disappearing into the crowd of pedestrians. He pulled out his phone and stared at the screen until a message popped up from an unsaved number so he opened it.

[It's Hayashi-san!]

His smile grew and he saved the number under a male name; Takara was the first to come to mind. He was about to reply but a familiar figure caught his attention; walking toward him was Kimiko, she seemed to be deep in thought, so much that she walked right past him.

"Hey, beautiful."

Kimiko stopped walking and looked over her shoulder at him; a sweet smile came to her lips immediately. "Hayate-kun." She reached forward and took his hands, "I didn't expect to run into you today."

He let out a chuckle, "Funny, I seem to be running into a lot of people today."

"What do you mean?"

"I ran into Hayashi-san not too long ago." He replied nonchalantly, "She told me about how you saved her ass from Heiwajima last night." He pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed it softly, "She said that I should do something special for you as a thank you, so what do you say? Wanna go get something to eat? My treat."

Kimiko nodded in response, "Did she say anything else?"

Hayate began to walk, still holding her hand. "Yeah she did mention paying you back sometime for what you did, but when I asked her about it, she said it was a secret."

Kimiko let go of his hand and intertwined her arm with his, "Well then I guess I'll find out when the time comes hm?"

"I think she really likes you." Hayate laughed a little bit, "I'm a little worried that she might try to steal you away from me."

"I won't let that happen."

Hayate looked down at her and chuckled, "I should be the one saying that." He then looked ahead, wondering just when he would be able to do what Izaya asked of him; perhaps when Mari reached out to him for help with her surprise for Kimiko…

"How long do you think it will take before that new girl goes away anyway?"

Hayate blinked with astonishment; the harshness of Kimiko's tone caught him off guard and he looked down at her not bothering to hide his baffled expression. "What do you mean?" He tried not to sound too concerned for Mari, but his curiosity was too overwhelming considering the fact that Kimiko had risked her life last night to save the girl in question. "I know Orihara is the only reason why she is in our group now, but shouldn't you be a bit more patient?"

The look on Kimiko's face after he spoke told him that she realized just how awful her question sounded, "I mean that I just don't like having her in our group." She didn't even try to make eye contact with Hayate, "She's just so… So small and pathetic!" Her brows were pushed together now, "I feel like the longer she's with us, the more likely things will go wrong like last night."

Hayate stared at her for a moment before averting his gaze forward again, "I understand what you mean." He replied simply, "I'm sure she won't be with us for too much longer but it doesn't help that none of us even know why Orihara wants her around." He let out an annoyed sigh. "I was thinking that after this ordeal, we should drop him."

Kimiko looked up at him and stopped walking. "Are you serious?"

Hayate stopped as well and met her excited gaze, "Of course." He smiled charmingly, "I'm done with that asshole." He placed his hands on the sides of her face. "It would be very nice to see how we can run the Red Devils without him. Just you and me running things perfectly without him interfering or trying to get us to split up like before." He leaned in and kissed her forehead which in turn resulted in a small giggle from Kimiko. "We need to let your brother know that he's out as well, just in case he tries bringing up any false information that would cause any doubt within the gang." He tried not to sound too eager.

Kimiko nodded in agreement, "I know how he likes to play his stupid games…You know, I really think that maybe he wanted me all to himself or something." She spoke bluntly as they intertwined arms again before resuming their walk. "That's why he was trying to get us to break up before."

Hayate merely laughed, knowing that this was far from the truth. "He is quite the weirdo." He tried to sound just as straightforward as her, but the feeling in his gut told him that Izaya was probably somewhere around listening in on their conversation. That creep was always somewhere nearby no matter what; this would explain why he always knew everything that was going on in this city.

* * *

After finding a place to eat and conversing about what life would be like without Izaya in their lives, Hayate found himself wondering what would happen if the info broker actually left them alone. Kimiko had excused herself to the bathroom, and the young man was sitting there alone, staring at his phone while the waitress returned with his receipt.

Granted, Hayate would not be in this position if it weren't for Izaya's presence, and taking advantage of Kimiko's family's connections would have never happened either. In all honesty, it was all Izaya's idea to start their gang and have Kimiko join so that they would have all the money they needed for certain situations and to pay the info broker of course. So if they were to drop that annoying twenty-year-old, Hayate assumed that life wouldn't change much at all considering that they already had everything laid out for them in a routine that would not be broken if one man were to be removed from their lives.

"Ready to go?"

Kimiko's voice brought Hayate back to reality and he nodded as he stood.

"So I was thinking of maybe going back to your place." Kimiko spoke quietly as she took hold of his hand, "My parents are in town this week so we can't go there like usual."

Hayate grinned, "That's fine with me beautiful." He then realized something as they began walking in the direction of his apartment. His body grew cold and he glanced down at his girlfriend wondering if there was any way he could possibly change her mind. "Say, have you ever been in that manga store over there?" He asked, desperate to find some time to text that girl to get out of his place.

"Um… No, but you know I'm not really into that kind of stuff Hayate-kun." She giggled, "Why? Are you trying to get some ideas for when we're alone together?"

Hayate laughed nervously, "Maybe I am." He replied; his phone felt like it was burning a hole in his pocket.

"Well it can wait, it looks super crowded in there."

Fuck… Hayate cleared his throat, "Alright we'll go in there next time then." He could feel the cold sweat on his body as they neared his apartment.

The playboy found it hard to concentrate as he brought out his keys to unlock his door, not that it should be locked due to the fact that he had left someone here. He prayed internally that she had gotten bored and left; hopefully, she didn't leave anything behind on her way out though. The majority of the females he had over before would purposely leave something so they would have an excuse to come back, not that he minded at the time.

Hayate slowly opened the door and peeked inside; his futon wasn't on the floor anymore and there were no traces of that girl being there. He smiled at this sight and stepped inside feeling rather invincible; it was even nicer that the girl didn't text him either like all the others would do. Contrary to his current situation, he really wasn't into the clingy types.

"I'm going to go freshen up." Kimiko said as she stepped around him, "You can get things ready out here." She smiled at him before disappearing around the corner.

Hayate let out a happy sigh and began to unfold his futon but the sound of his phone ringing caught his attention. He pulled it from his pocket and frowned.

"What do you want?" He answered.

"Wow, what kind of way is that to answer the call of someone who just helped you out?" It was Izaya.

"What do you mean?" Hayate asked, glancing around as he grew paranoid.

"Well for starters I must say that I'm not impressed with that girl you had over. She was pretty young… Maybe a first year?" The info broker laughed on the other end, "She wasn't even that cute."

Hayate didn't know how to respond.

"Anyway, I thought I would drop by your place and let her know that you were going to be returning with another guest." He sighed, "That first year didn't seem too happy hearing that you had a girlfriend but I'm sure you don't care about that."

"What do you want me to say? Thank you?" Hayate scoffed, growing rather irritated.

There was a small moment of silence on the other end, "As nice as that would be, I feel that I won't be hearing that from you anytime soon…"

"You got that right."

"Say, Hime-chan, I wouldn't suppose you were planning on breaking up with me?"

Hayate clenched his free hand; he hated when Izaya called him that. "So you were following us around you fucking creep."

Loud laughter was heard before Izaya continued, "I would like to say that I have no intentions of trying to steal away your precious Oshi-chan; she's not really my type." He laughed again, "But I suppose that if you were, in fact, planning on dropping me from your life, then I would consider using the head on your shoulders to start making decisions from now on, rather than the one in your pants." He sounded serious this time, "I mean, could you imagine the events that would have played out today if I wouldn't have stopped by? Just think about it Hime-chan, and let me know how you want things to go since you are the one in charge after all." Izaya sounded rather amused near the end of that sentence.

Hayate swallowed dryly as he couldn't even bring himself to respond, not that he could have; the info broker hung up and Hayate was left standing there with his head spinning.

"Hayate-kun."

The teen looked over as Kimiko spoke his name; she only had her undergarments on and he forced a smile. "Are those new?" He asked.

Kimiko nodded, "How about you put the phone down and pay attention to what's more important right now." She walked toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Hayate put his phone back in his pocket and placed his hands on her sides, "How can I think of anything else with you in front of me like this?" He could see that she was blushing even though they had done this many times before. "How did I ever get so lucky?" He pulled her closer and kissed her but his thoughts were in fact elsewhere. He didn't know what to do now; he had already told Kimiko that he wanted to get Izaya out of their lives but now it was more difficult. That phone call was not only a friendly reminder of how much Hayate relied on the info broker, but it was also a threat.

Kimiko was on her back now, laying on the futon with Hayate above her; her hands were undoing the button of his jeans smiling rather excitedly. It was while Hayate was kissing her neck that an idea popped into his mind and he couldn't help but smile against her soft skin.

Under him was the daughter of a rich family; a family who didn't care how much money she spent every month, nor did they question her whereabouts late at night or during the day. She was the young woman who had four brawny men risk their lives to fight Heiwajima and there was no doubt in his mind that she could hire more to get rid of that scrawny info broker once and for all.

Hayate moved his lips to hers as the flawless plan formed within his mind, and soon enough he would be able to do what he wanted without needing to answer to Orihara Izaya anymore.

* * *

A few hours had passed and Kimiko was gone, leaving Hayate alone in his apartment staring his phone. He decided to wait a little while longer to discuss his plan with his girlfriend; he wanted to get a clear idea of how things would play out before presenting it to her.

[Hey Hayashi-san, did you need my help yet for that surprise?] He sent this text as soon as the thought of that new girl came to his mind. It baffled him when he found out that she was seventeen years old; she looked like the first year when Akira had introduced her.

[Not yet, don't worry I will let you know as soon as I need you.]

He sighed, growing impatient even though he had just gotten her phone number that day.

[So you never did tell me what happened to your legs… Did Heiwajima attack you?]

As he waited for her reply, he got up and sauntered over to his desk to turn on his computer. As he waited for his screen to load, he leaned his chin against his hand and watched his phone waiting for it to light up.

[I fell when Oshiro-san told me to run… Kind of embarrassing I know! But it could have been way worse!]

Hayate smiled against his palm as he imagined Mari running in a rather cute manner then falling. If only he were there to help her up and carry her safely to his apartment so he could bandage her up and comfort her…

[Well I am glad you are okay, I would have been very upset if you had been killed by that guy.]

He then looked at his computer seeing that it was ready to be used; he clicked on his internet browser and read the latest news headlines. There was some typical stuff about celebrities and the hottest trends in fashion; something out of the ordinary caught his attention.

"Police are seeking help in their pursuit of a possible threat to the city…" He grinned as he read this; perhaps it had something to do with his gang? They did just rowdy up some businessmen a few days ago and tore up a few local shops; he stopped reading once his phone lit up.

[I'm glad that Oshiro-san is okay too, she didn't appear to get hurt at all! Anyway, see you at school on Monday!]

As Hayate read this, he began to think back to when Kimiko was just there; he saw nothing on her body. No bruises, no scratches, and nothing else that would give him the impression that she even fought off a guy like Heiwajima. He frowned slightly and shrugged; maybe that dude didn't want to risk hurting a female high school student? He turned his attention back to his computer screen and clicked on the news about the celebrities.

"Oh wow she definitely has put on some weight!" He laughed to himself; "No wonder her husband cheated…" He glared over at his phone when it lit up; he grew rather excited thinking that Mari was texting him again but it was Kimiko.

[Goodnight my love! See you soon~]

Hayate sighed and looked back at the article.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Relationships are a tricky thing; romantic or not.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter~**

 **Again I really love the reviews/follows/favs/ etc**

 **keep em' coming! Until next time~**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: hey hey hey hey**

 **Thanks for the reviews/follows/favs~ I really appreciate it!**

 **Here's the next chapter~**

* * *

Chapter 4.

Everyone always acted nice to the new student, that was inevitable; being introduced to a color gang, however, was not normal, nor what she expected. Mari couldn't help but allow herself to be led to the final level of the parking garage where more members of this so-called gang were gathered. All of them appeared to be students with different uniforms on and varied in ages from first years to upperclassmen. Seeing the different types of people sparked more interest in the gang that she was being initiated into; at first, she thought it was a joke or some sort of silly game that a bunch of high schoolers decided to start out of boredom.

"About time," Kimiko said when she noticed that they had walked up. "We were beginning to think that you weren't interested." She directed her words toward Mari who finally met her gaze.

"Oh don't worry," Mari said simply, "I'm definitely interested." She finished her words with a smile.

"Then shall we start?" Hayate spoke up, "I was thinking that your task should be-" A sudden uproar interrupted the grinning teen and everyone turned their attention to what had the rest of the group excited.

Mari leaned forward to get a better look at what was the cause of all the noise; it was a man. He appeared to be slender under a fur-trimmed coat and dark clothing; his hair was black and his brown eyes examined the scene before him.

"O-orihara-kun!" Akira gasped as the man sauntered over to them.

Mari looked at the blonde, taking note of how she blushed from seeing this man; it was evident that she had feelings for him.

"Well well, it looks like there's a party going on." He spoke carelessly, "Why wasn't I invited?" He rested his dark gaze onto Hayate who appeared to grow tense.

"I do not remember calling you." Hayate spoke bluntly, "So what can we do for you?"

"Straight to the point." Orihara sighed as he looked over at Mari "I see you have another plaything."

The new girl simply tilted her head; new plaything? She stared at the older guy curious of what that meant but couldn't help but grin at how easy it was for him to throw around such disrespectful words.

"That's Hayashi Mari," Akira spoke quickly. "A new member."

"Not yet." Kimiko pitched in, very obviously annoyed. "She's being initiated today."

"Ah, it's nice to meet you Mi-chan." Orihara spread out his arms as if he was about to embrace her in a friendly hug. "My name is Orihara Izaya, but you can call me by my first name."

"It's nice to meet you too, Orihara-kun," Mari replied simply while remaining locked in his gaze; smiling while doing so. Unlike most people, this man did not break eye contact, even after such an uncomfortable amount of time passed. Instead, he gave her a daunting smile before scoffing.

"Can we get on with things already?" Kimiko snapped, which in turn caught Izaya's attention and he looked at her.

"Right, that is why I am here."

Mari couldn't help but become intrigued by this strange man even though she did find it odd that he hung around a bunch of high schoolers. As these thoughts swirled around in her head, she could feel a pair of eyes on her; looking over she noticed Akira who appeared to be staring at her with eyes full of jealousy, but the blonde looked away quickly as Izaya began to speak.

"I have a special task!" Izaya's voice echoed through the cement building, "I want you to rough someone up for me." His hands were back inside of his coat pockets. "Or kill him, preferably."

"Who?" Hayate asked.

"Him." A photo was suddenly placed in front of the young man and he took it.

"Who is he?" Questioned Hayate as he looked at the picture.

"Names are not important in this situation." Izaya taunted while waving his hand as if the topic was no longer important, "What is important, however, is that this gets done sooner than later."

Kimiko leaned in to take a closer look at the photo, "He looks familiar."

"He works at a bar, and the location is on the back." The dark haired man then looked over at Mari, "I think it will be the perfect task for a newbie." He chuckled softly before making his exit. "Oh, and-" he turned on his heel to take one last look at the murmuring teens, "Don't disappoint me!"

Quite the flamboyant type; Mari began to lose interest in the conversations going on once Izaya walked away; she looked down at her nails wondering when this whole ordeal would be done so she could go home. Despite the fact that the odd man was gone, she still couldn't get rid of the smile on her face; she had a feeling that she would see him again. In the meantime, she would have to deal with these people who she was involved with.

Her dark blue gaze looked around as the members around her began to murmur louder; they sounded scared and this caught her attention. As she was watching those around her, she caught sight of Akira walking up the ramp looking a little red, but before she could question the blonde about her appearance, Mari's phone jingled.

[Do you have club activities today?]

It was her mother and Mari frowned slightly as she typed back a response. [Yeah, it's taking longer than usual. I'll be home soon.]

She knew better than to put her phone away due to the fact that her mother was pretty quick with her replies.

[Okay well I'm working late again so figure out something to eat.]

"- the Perfect task for a newbie."

Mari looked up at the mentioning of that word; newbie was very obviously directed toward her.

"You are coming out with me tonight to handle this, got it?" Kimiko spoke at her.

"I should come too." Said Akira.

"No." Kimiko looked at the blonde, "It's time for me to spend some personal time with the new girl since you've been having all the fun around here."

"It would be nice to get to know you better Oshiro-san." Mari had walked up since she was being talked about; Kimiko was visibly startled by her sudden appearance.

"Well, then it's settled." The raven-haired girl stared down at Mari, "Meet me at this address tonight at nine." She handed Mari the photo of the man who they were going to be dealing with. "Don't be late."

Mari looked down at the photo, examining the man; he was blond and sporting a bartender get up. He looked rather tall and well built compared to the other male bodies she had been around lately.

"Are you sure I shouldn't tag along?"

"We'll be fine." Kimiko replied to Akira, "I've got some guys I can bring who will be there to do most of the dirty work."

"Do I get to keep this photo?" Mari spoke up.

"It's all yours." Hayate sighed, "I would rather not have to see his face ever again."

Kimiko looked at Hayate and softly took hold of his arm, "After tonight, I'll make sure of that."

Mari stared at the contact that Kimiko was making with the red-haired teen but then looked down at the picture again. She wanted to ask why everyone appeared to be so scared of this man but decided that it was best for her to find out later tonight.

Before they all dispersed; Kimiko had told her to dress in black in order to blend in with the darkness which confused the new girl; if anything she thought that they would have wanted to sport their gang color, especially when performing a gang-related task, but she decided not to question it.

* * *

Dressed in all black as requested, Mari approached Kimiko and the group of guys standing behind her smoking. The small girl stopped and looked both ways before crossing the street, but rather than crossing easily as she wanted, her shoe caught on the curb and she stumbled a bit. This seemed to have sparked up some laughter from the guys behind Kimiko.

"You're on time." The raven-haired teen sounded impressed and Mari smiled in response. "You ready?"

"As ready as I could be," Mari replied simply, in fact, she was a little excited about what was about to go down. The only thing she could think about on her way here were the faces of all the young high schoolers when the identity of their target was revealed; she couldn't wait to see why everyone was so scared.

"Then let's go."

Waiting for this Heiwajima Shizuo to come outside was taking up a lot of time; the guys Kimiko had brought with her had gone through two packs of cigarettes and Mari only found entertainment in watching people who walked by and talking about school or the latest adventures that the gang had been on.

Kimiko had told her about how they had to rough up some older men for ditching a few payments which also resulted in their family's stores being vandalized and destroyed. Apparently, this gang was into selling drugs and offering protection from other rival gangs; typical gang shenanigans.

The raven-haired teen seemed a little hesitant at first with telling Mari about their business, but eventually spilled quite a bit of information. It was the high schoolers who helped distribute the drugs and older men, like the ones with them tonight, where the so-called bodyguards for store owners. The only thing that Kimiko wouldn't talk about is how she had access to these older men and why they worked for her.

"Is that him boss?"

Kimiko and Mari turned their attention toward the alleyway across the street. "That's him." Kimiko replied, "Let's go."

Mari followed close behind the four men and took note of how Kimiko kept her distance as well but was equipped with a metal pipe; she then pulled up a face mask so Mari lifted her hood. The small girl then looked at their target, noticing that he had looked at them but said nothing as he smoked his cigarette.

"Heiwajima Shizuo right?" One of the guys spoke.

The blond bartender exhaled smoke.

"Hey, we are talking to you." Another one of the guys snapped, "What, you too scared to say anything?"

Shizuo pushed himself off of the building wall, "I don't have time to deal with guys like you." He took another drag of his cigarette and turned away as if he were about to go inside.

Before he even had the chance to flick his cig away, one of the guys lunged at him and took a swing at the back of his head, breaking the wooden bat he had used.

Mari watched how the blond only stumbled forward and his shades fell off of his face. She thought for sure that he would have been knocked out by that hit, but instead, he picked up his broken shades and examined them as he stood up straight.

"You know..." He spoke quietly; there was blood trailing down the back of his neck, "If I didn't know any better I would have to say that you were trying to kill me."

Shizuo turned around only to be met with another man who had run forward to stab him in the stomach; they stood there staring at each other, the fear was quite obvious in the attacker as the blond looked down at the knife and blood began to seep through his clean white shirt.

Shizuo then looked the man who was on the other end of the knife. "My little brother bought me this shirt."

The poor soul who stabbed Shizuo was sent flying into the night sky followed by the screams of the one who had hit him in the head. The last two men attempted an attack on the bartender before them, but the blond stopped one with a trashcan and the other with a fist to the face.

As this played before her, Mari watched with a starstruck smile on her face. She had never seen a man be thrown into the night sky by another like this. Never in her short life had she witnessed one man be able to take down four large men with no problem even after being hit in the head and stabbed; he was not human.

"Take this." Suddenly a metal pipe was placed in Mari's hands. "Don't stop until he's dead!" Kimiko had then placed herself behind the small girl and pushed her toward the man blessed with inhuman strength.

Mari stumbled forward and fell; the metal pipe rolled out of her hands and she looked up to see that Shizuo had stepped on the weapon. The metal crumbled beneath his foot and before she could do or say anything she was being lifted into the air and slammed up against the building wall.

The impact left her breathless and her head throbbed in protest from the collision. She couldn't even see his face; her hood had fallen over her face and she wasn't sure what to expect next as the blond began to yell at her.

"Who sent you!?" He demanded, "It was that flea I bet." He then tossed her aside. "I swear when I find him I'm going to kill him."

Mari slid to a stop, panting, trying to catch her breath and barely able to lift herself up as her vision blurred from the blow she took to the back of her head.

"You tell that fleabag to come and fight me himself."

She could see his shoes in front of her now.

"Got it?"

Mari reached back and pulled her hood off of her head before looking up at him. The look on his face made it impossible for her to believe that such a kind looking man was capable of such violence.

"You-you're a girl…" Guilt filled is pale brown eyes.

Mari coughed and struggled to stand; being thrown around like a rag doll left her clothes tattered and she could feel the blood on her legs sticking to what was left of her pants. "I'm sorry b-but I'm not sure who this fleabag is that you're referring to…" She touched the back of her head and brought her hand back to her face to examine the small amount of blood on her fingers.

"What… Why…" The blond was having a hard time finding words to say.

Mari took a step back, almost losing her balance as she did. She watched as Shizuo stepped forward with his hand out as if he was trying to help her but she decided that her best bet was to leave. This man obviously had no intentions of hurting her any further, but what fun would it be to see such a weak side from a man with his strength.

Finally making up her mind, Mari turned and began to run.

"H-hey!"

She heard the blond call after her but she refused to look back; she imagined that he wouldn't try to chase her since he had already beaten her up pretty well. It would just look bad on his part. The only thing on her mind during her run was the man she had just interacted with; that scene was not one to be described as their first time meeting each other, he didn't even know her name!

As she approached her apartment, the began to look forward t the day that she could officially meet him and find out more about him; how was it that he had so much strength? What else could he do? A smile spread across her face as she practically crawled up the stairs to the door. Her legs felt like jello and her chest still felt tight from having the air knocked out of her not even twenty minutes ago. Luckily, though, her mother was still working and therefore she wouldn't have to explain anything.

When she got into the apartment, she was greeted by a white cat who meowed expectantly but Mari ignored the feline and dragged herself down the hall to the bathroom. As she turned on the water for her bath, the small girl began to think about the events that just happened; not Shizuo's part, but rather Kimiko's.

The teen had pushed Mari into Shizuo's path; she didn't even try to fight the blond. This thought made Mari laugh; so the wannabe gang member only acted tough to appear cool to everyone else… Mari stared at the water as it filled up the tub; her mind was not allowing her to believe such a simple explanation for that teen's actions. There had to be more to it than just trying to act tough.

Mari began to take off her clothes as another thought came to mind, one that was a bit more plausible. Perhaps the raven-haired teen wanted to get rid of Mari, but so soon? As she continued to think about it, her mind recalled the way Kimiko would always look at her which made it so obvious that this was the case; perhaps the teen felt threatened by Mari's presence.

Mari frowned and sighed once the conclusion settled in her head; she stepped into the tub and immediately felt the hot water burn her wounds; the water slowly turned pale red around her skin.

* * *

By the time Mari saw Kimiko again, she was in a much better mood. It was obvious by the look on her face that Kimiko didn't want to be there.

"Hey." Kimiko sounded anxious.

Akira stared at Kimiko and beckoned for her to sit before looking at Mari, "You wanted to say something right?"

Mari fumbled with her paper cup on the table and made sure to make eye contact as Kimiko looked at her. "Yes, I wanted to say thank you." She bowed her head while smiling at her lap. She could only imagine the thoughts going through Kimiko's head right now. If only she could read minds, she would gladly write novels of all the fun thoughts she would get to hear.

"For what?"

Mari looked up at her, "For saving me!"

"S-saving you?"

Mari let out a small laugh, "Did that bartender hit you in the head or something?" She glanced over at Akira who laughed as well.

"Mi-chan said that when Heiwajima finished off your guys, he tried to attack her but you stepped in." Akira explained, "You told her to run, right?" Looking at Mari as if to confirm.

"So I ran away and I thought he killed you." Mari's brows furrowed with worry; the confusion was clear on Kimiko's face. "I didn't have your number so I text Koizumi-San, and well... Here we are." She then stood up and stepped aside, "I fell while running." She motioned toward her legs; her knees were bandaged and the side of her left leg was also wrapped up. "But I'm glad to see that you don't have a scratch." She sat back down with a knowing smile on her face.

"I see." Said Kimiko.

"Geez Kimi-chan." Akira scoffed, "Cut Mi-chan some slack, I still think she still deserves a spot in our group."

Kimiko looked at Akira then at Mari before crossing her arms. "I guess I could allow it."

"Thank you so much!" Mari spoke while pressing her hands together and dipped her head yet again before returning her gaze to Kimiko's. "I won't disappoint you, again." She found it entertaining that Kimiko was playing along despite that permanent muddled look in her eyes. Just as she expected, though, Kimiko looked away so Mari turned her attention to Akira.

"That was really fun though! I look forward to doing something like that again."

About an hour passed and Mari decided that it was time to take her leave. "Again, thank you so much for helping me out last night Oshiro-san." She bowed before smiling at Kimiko and Akira. "We will get that guy next time for sure." She then waved goodbye and walked out of the building.

As she made her way to her destination, her thoughts were filled with the look on Kimiko's face; she looked so lost that Mari couldn't help but laugh.

While she continued to make her way to her next destination, she noticed a familiar frame walking ahead of her; the red hair gave away his identity right away. "Kawaguchi-kun?"

"Why hello..." The look on his face made it evident that she was someone different than who he expected. "Hayashi-san! It's nice to see you outside of school." He had his usual charming smile beaming. "Why are you by yourself?"

Mari tilted her head slightly in response to his question then let out a small laugh, "Oh I was actually just with Koizumi-san and Oshiro-san." She watched as he looked around, he wasn't very good at hiding his intentions.

"You don't say." He returned his dark gaze to her face, "I didn't know you all hung out on our days off… What happened to your legs?"

"We usually don't…" Mari replied before looking down at herself, "Oh they are the reason why I wanted to meet up so I could thank Oshiro-san."

"What for?"

"She saved me from that guy last night." Mari was clutching onto the strap of her purse, "You should take her out for lunch to let her know how special she is." She maintained eye contact as she spoke, "I would like to repay her sometime myself as well."

Hayate blinked and looked away. "What did you have in mind?"

Mari smiled suddenly, "That's a secret!" She then pulled her phone from her purse, "May I have your number? I might need your help when the time comes."

A cocky smile crossed Hayate's face and he willingly gave his number to her. "Don't tell Kimi-chan that I gave you my number, I don't want her knowing that I am part of the surprise yet."

Mari closed her phone after she saved him into her contacts and grinned. "Don't worry I won't say a thing." She then looked around, "I should get going, I have some things I need to do." She bowed her head, "It was nice seeing you."

"Likewise."

As she walked away, it had become even more obvious that the rumors she had been hearing around the school were most likely true. Hayate was known for messing around with other female students, and any respectable boyfriend would not take another woman's number with the intention of keeping it a secret from his lover, no matter the reason. Mari found herself smiling at the thought of Kimiko finding out about their exchange of numbers; what look would she have then? The thought of that easily annoyed teen had Mari texting Hayate before she had the chance to forget.

[It's Hayashi-san!]

She closed her phone after sending the text and stopped in front of a small grocery store; her mother had left a small list of things they needed for the upcoming week. Her mom would usually be the one to run the errands, but because she was working all the time, the task was passed on to Mari. Things weren't always like this though; her mother used to be the stay at home mom who would cook and clean all day while her father was working.

It happened last year; mother and father decided to split all because he had stopped interacting with the family like he used to. Turns out that he was spending an excessive amount of money on young escorts and drugs; it was tragic.

After that ordeal and the divorce papers filed, Mari and her mother moved here to Ikebukuro to start their lives over; location was decided by her mother. Unfortunately for her mother, she had to start working to support them, not that Mari minded this change; it gave her the freedom to do as she wanted.

* * *

Once Mari bought the few things on the list, she left the store and looked around; right across the street was the bar that Shizuo worked at and where he had that look on his face when he realized that he had thrown around a defenseless girl. Speaking of the man on her mind, she could see him leaning against the wall smoking and she couldn't help but stare. His strength was quite frightening, but Mari did not fear him. It was incredible how he was able to toss around a group of guys like it was nothing; she would give anything to have strength like that.

"I can see that he is still alive and well."

A familiar voice knocked Mari out of her trance; the voice belonged to someone she hadn't expected to run into today. "Oh, it's you Orihara-kun." She turned to face the older man who she had only met recently, "I'm sorry things didn't go the way you were hoping."

Izaya stared at her, a curious look on his face but he still smiled. "No need to apologize." He sighed, "I suppose I expected too much." He took a moment to examine her, "Especially since you had no idea what you were up against."

Mari simply looked at him, "I think that even against a normal person I wouldn't have much of a chance." She laughed off her own self-depreciating joke, "I honestly have no idea why I was accepted into the group… Everyone else seems to be capable of handling their own."

"Even Oshi-Chan?"

Mari's brows furrowed having not heard that nickname before. "Oshiro-san?" She asked even though the context of the conversation made it obvious who he was talking about; Izaya nodded and looked like he was about to start laughing. "Of course she can." She said bluntly, "She's saved me from Heiwajima-kun last night."

"Is that right." It didn't even sound like a question, "From what I saw, it looked like she ran away and left you all alone to defend yourself."

Mari looked back at the blond as he finished his cigarette and walked inside. "You saw what happened?"

"Every second of it."

Mari remained silent for a half second, "Then do me a favor Orihara-kun." She looked at his perplexed expression. "Don't tell anyone else."

Suddenly, the info broker began to laugh.

Mari waited until he was done. "I have a feeling that you won't say anything, though."

"Why do you say that hm? Do you know me so well already?"

Mari wasn't sure if he was faking as he appeared to wipe away a tear from his eye, but she smiled at him anyway. "I just have a feeling." She replied and turned to walk away, "Bye Orihara-kun!" She paused, however, needing to say one last thing so she pivoted to face him one last time. "By the way… Heiwajima-kun says that you should go fight him yourself." She ended her sentence with a pretentious smile, not bothering to wait for his reply before turning back around and continuing her route home.

She could feel his eyes on her as she walked away; she couldn't care less if he followed her or not.

* * *

 **A/N: Mari's POV hope you all liked it**

 **haha**

 **man she is the most fun to type just because I know where things are going lol**

 **hope you all liked it!**

 **Until next time~**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**

 **Long time no post because that's just who I am as a person**

 **No excuse~**

 **Here's the next chapter! Thanks for all the follows/favs/ reviews!**

* * *

Chapter. 5

It was the first day of May which meant that there were only three more days until it was Izaya's birthday and Akira found herself unable to concentrate on anything but him. This also meant that it had been about three weeks total that she had been watching Mari and yet nothing has happened; even after Izaya had asked for another favor having to do with the new girl, but as usual the blonde was unable to demand any reasoning behind these instructions.

"Wow, you are good at drawing Koizumi-san."

Akira froze, having not noticed that the lunch bell had rung and Mari was standing over her shoulder staring at the little doodles on her notes. Her wounds from the night they confronted Shizuo were healed enough that she didn't need bandages anymore. "O-oh this?" She felt her face grow hot; they were doodles of Izaya surrounded by hearts and happy birthday messages. "It's nothing…"

Mari leaned close and examined the paper, "His birthday is coming up?"

Akira nodded, "On the fourth to be exact." Before shutting the notebook hoping that their little conversation was not too loud for others to listen in on.

"That's two days before mine." Mari grinned, "Do I get cute drawings like this too for my birthday?" Her expression dropped into what looked like pure curiosity but Akira knew better than to believe her innocent expression.

The blonde had discovered during her time around Mari, that she was often sarcastic with her words despite having a serious look on her face; it took some time getting used to this behavior and after figuring it out, she felt like she could relax more around the new girl.

"No way!" Akira scoffed and put away her notebook before standing from her desk. "If anything I'll just bring you a gift."

"A gift?"

Akira led the way out of the classroom and up the stairs as usual to the rooftop. "Or the group can put something together for you." She shrugged, happy that they were no longer talking about her doodles of Izaya. "I'll bring it up to them if you would like."

Mari smiled genuinely at the blonde, "Do as you wish." She replied, "I will not deny any gifts."

Akira sighed, "Well is there anything you don't like?" They had made it to the roof and were walking over to their usual spot to sit.

Mari tapped her chin as Akira sat down. "I think it is easier to talk about the things I do like actually." She finally stated bluntly, "anything that has to do with cats would be fine."

"What're you two talking about?"

Akira looked up to see that Hayate had strolled over with Kimiko on his arm and a few other members trailing behind. "Mi-chan's birthday is coming up." She answered quickly, "We're trying to figure out what to do to celebrate."

"You don't say?" Hayate grinned, "Got any ideas yet?"

Mari shook her head, "Nothing yet but I'm open for anything I suppose."

"Why don't we throw you a party?" One of the members pipped up; her name was Fujita Rina, a second year with short brown hair and blunt cut bangs. "I heard that Oshiro-Senpai has some connections with a few dance clubs." Her pale brown eyes glanced at Kimiko nervously.

Akira watched as her best friend shot the lower class-men a sharp look, "Just blurt it out for the whole school to hear huh?" Her harsh tone made the second year flinch.

"As if no one knew that already." The blonde retorted while laughing softly; she was attempting to defend Rina's dignity but then noticed that her friend had perked up as if she suddenly had an idea.

"You know what… That's a great idea Fujita-san." Kimiko suddenly said, "I'll get us access to a club for Hayashi-san's birthday." She grinned at the petite girl, "It'll be a night you will never forget."

Akira looked at Mari who was staring back at Kimiko; the smile on her face was an odd one that did not reflect any hint of appreciation but rather animosity and excitement.

"Sounds fun." Said Mari, "Can't wait."

* * *

Three days had passed and Akira found herself walking toward the familiar building where the love of her life lived. Her heart was racing and the shirt she was wearing felt far too tight but she had told herself that she looked great. It was rather low cut to reveal her bodacious and sizable breasts; the skirt she wore was shorter than anything she was used to but over and over she reassured herself that she looked perfect as she waited in the elevator. It was Izaya's birthday and all week she had planned for this evening; daydreaming about every moment that was about to happen as soon as the elevator doors opened.

"Happy birthday Orihara-kun…" She whispered but the words that came out of her mouth never sounded good enough to her ears. "Happy birthday I-Izaya…" Akira sighed and looked down at the small cake she had made for him. She had spent countless hours trying to make the perfect pastry for him; making sure that it was not too sugary since he didn't like sweet foods.

Once the doors opened, she made her way over to his door like she had done before only this time she had plans to do more than just talking to him. There was no way he was going to see through her like usual; he is going to see her as the woman she is. After all this time, he was probably just being a gentleman who was willing to wait for the right time to confront her about his feelings for her which was why she adored him so much. She loved the way he was even though everyone else seemed to hate him for their own personal reasons, and constant warnings about his true personality; however, she couldn't wait any longer. She could not stand one more day of waiting to address the obvious elephant in the room when it came to their relationship and the apparent dependency they had toward each other.

She knocked and waited; the door opened and she almost forgot why she was there.

"Ah, Zumi-chan what a lovely surprise!" He was as handsome as ever; he opened the door wider as an invitation for her to come inside. "Oh, and what is that?" He smelled marvelous, like he had just gotten out of the shower; his hair was still damp and little droplets of water slowly trailed down his neck just barely soaking the trim of his shirt.

She stepped inside and turned to face him with the cake in her hands; it was in a small plastic container. "I-it's a cake…"

He chuckled, "I can see that." The door was shut now.

"I wanted to say h-happy birthday Orihara-kun." She couldn't meet his eyes as she handed over the pastry.

Izaya took it from her hands and examined it, "You are too kind." He smiled down at her before patting the top of her head, "This was the only gift I received today." He ambled over to his desk and set the cake down before taking a seat. "I guess turning twenty-one isn't that big of a deal to most people."

Akira nervously walked over to him, "I'm sorry to hear that, but it's a big deal to me." She stood awkwardly next to his desk, not knowing what to do with her hands again. "I-I have another gift for you if you would like it." Her face felt like it was on fire and there was sweat forming along her hairline. She was convinced that he could hear her heartbeat, if not, then see it through her shirt as it struggled to escape from her chest.

He looked up at her and she forgot how to breathe, "Oh?" He smiled at her with the same charm that she fell for the first time she saw him. "Another cake perhaps?"

She stepped closer and moved her hands to the bottom of her shirt; she closed her eyes as she removed the fabric from her body felling the cool air of his apartment tickle her bare skin. "O-orihara…" She dropped her shirt to the floor.

Before she had the chance to open her eyes and look at him, Izaya let out a small sigh. "Zumi-chan, I do appreciate the gesture but-" He couldn't even finish his sentence before laughter escaped his lips.

Akira's eyes shot open and she stared at him laughing; she felt paralyzed while watching his reaction. "B-but Orihara-kun I-I want you to know how I feel!" She blurted out through his fit of laughter.

He finally settled down, "Zumi-chan I've known for years about how you felt toward me." He snickered a bit before continuing, "That was no secret."

Akira felt the burning sensation along the waterline of her eyes as tears began to form. "B-but I-I love you…"

Izaya's expression dropped and he stood from his seat, staring at her. His hands were suddenly on the sides of her face and he tilted his head as if he were examining every detail of her flushed face.

She felt her own heart plummet to the pit of her stomach at his touch, the serious look on his face had the blood retreating from her hands and feet. As his face drew closer, she closed her eyes, leaning in for the anticipated kiss that she had dreamt of for years now, but his lips did not meet hers, instead, they brushed softly against her ear.

"I love you too Zumi-chan, but as a human." He spoke softly and his breath sent chills through her body, "I couldn't bring myself to love someone the way you love me, and that's okay." He pulled away and her eyes shot open in time to see him fall into his chair with a smirk on his face, "I am also very sure that you don't actually love me, but rather the idea of me that you have in your head." He rested his elbow on the arm of his chair and leaned against the palm of his hand while watching her struggle to find more words to say. "Anyway thank you for the cake, I'll be sure to enjoy it." He turned and looked at his computer screen; obviously not caring for what she was going to do next.

Akira stared at him horrified as the realization slowly began to rush over her senses. He didn't want her.

She scooped her shirt up from the floor and left without saying anything else; his laughter echoed in her ears as she impatiently pressed the elevator button fifty hundred times. Tears were spilling over her face and she threw herself into the elevator as soon as the doors opened; she struggled to get her shirt back on as she hyperventilated, unable to breathe anymore. Why did he laugh? Why didn't he want her? She couldn't see clearly anymore with a number of tears welling up in her eyes. After all these years, and after all the things she had done for him…

She found herself in front of her home eventually and went inside as quietly as possible. Everyone was sleeping at this time of night, so she slowly crept up the stairs and to her room where she immediately started ripping off all of her clothes. She then walked over to her full body mirror and stared at herself, hating every part of her physique. She wasn't as fit as all the other girls and she had more meat on her body than she wanted, but she thought for sure that it wouldn't matter to Izaya… She thought that he loved her no matter what…

"Wait." She whispered as she thought about the words that he had said to her.

"I love you too Zumi-chan, but as a human."

"H-he said he loves me." She felt her lips curl into a smile, "He does love me." She let out an relieved breath and kneeled down in front of the mirror, "Orihara-kun does love me…" She pressed her hands against the mirror then looked down at her body. "He will love me even more once I change…" She reached down and touched her stomach, taking hold of the excess skin the lived there. "He will love me even more." As she spoke these words to herself, the image of Mari flashed through her mind which resulted in some unwanted emotions to flow through her body but her conclusion became clear. She just needed to become more like the person who Izaya was focused on momentarily, and that would ensure that he would see no one else but Akira indefinitely.

* * *

"So did you figure out where we are going for Mi-chan's birthday?" Akira looked up at Kimiko expectantly the following day at lunch; Mari was off with another group of friends for lunch that day. "You've had a few days to figure it out."

Kimiko sat next to the blonde, "Yeah I was thinking about that new spot that just opened up in northern Ikebukuro." She replied, "My brother says it's the hottest spot right now."

Akira could hold back the big smile as she looked at her friend.

Kimiko stared at her and narrowed her eyes. "What."

Akira giggled, "So you know how I told you that I was going to give Orihara-kun a present for his birthday?"

Kimiko nodded, "You didn't chicken out again this year?" She grinned.

"Nope!" Akira replied confidently, "I confessed to him too and he said that he loves me back!" She felt her cheeks become hot.

Kimiko just stared at her, the smile was gone from her lips. "He shares your feelings?" She asked, not quite sure if she could believe that or not.

Akira nodded, "I wanted to do more than just give him his birthday cake, but he decided that it was best to wait to do other things." She held her face with her hands, embarrassed by her own words. "It feels like a dream!"

"Seriously?" Kimiko asked, "And this was last night?"

Akira nodded again, giggling like a first year who just talked to their crush for the first time.

"Wow, I'm impressed." The raven-haired teen smiled, "I'm glad to hear that you're finally getting somewhere with that freak." She took the lid off of her bento box and began to eat. "Did you bring anything today?" She decided to change the subject since talking about Izaya was her least favorite thing to converse about.

Akira shook her head, "No I forgot it at home but it's okay, I'm not very hungry anyway." She rested her hands in her lap, "So we are going to take Mi-chan out on Saturday night right?"

Kimiko smiled, "Yup and I want it to be a surprise so if you could get her to my place that evening it would work out better since my parents are leaving that morning."

"Sounds good." Akira smiled, "I'm excited to see how she reacts."

* * *

Getting Mari to agree with hanging out on Saturday wasn't too hard; just waiting for her club activities to be done with for that day was the difficult part.

Akira sat on the bleachers watching the track team complete laps and she couldn't help but feel jealous of their ability to run for so long. Mari appeared to be rather quick on her feet as well considering that she kept up pretty well with the taller students.

For a moment Akira thought about potentially joining the track team herself but it would conflict too much for her other after-school activities having to do with the Red Devils. She didn't really need the excuse for her actions anyway since her parents didn't question her whereabouts after school or on the weekends. They cared far more for her little brother now because he had more potential, and better grades than she ever had.

Akira couldn't complain, though, she appreciated her freedom but there were times that she wished that her parents would look at her the same way they looked at her younger sibling. They bought him nicer things and made sure to make time for his school activities...

"Hey!"

Blinking and having not noticed that the track team were done with their training, Akira looked at Mari who had approached her. "You're done?"

Mari nodded while breathing heavy, "I'm going to the lockers now so you can come with me if you'd like."

Akira stood and followed the small girl, "I thought you would never get done." She attempted to joke.

"Yeah were training for a competition coming up," Mari replied as they entered the school. "I'm just going to wash up real quick then I'm all yours." She glanced over at the blonde before making her way into the locker room.

Akira leaned against the wall and waited, watching all the other track members come and go chatting without a single care in the world. As a few girls passed, Akira watched their bodies, admiring their figures and envying the way they looked in their clothing. She frowned slightly and looked down at herself wondering when the day would come that she would feel comfortable enough to confront Izaya again.

"Okay, I'm ready."

Mari appeared next to the sulking teen with her street clothes on; her face was still a little red from all the running she had done and her hair was a mess.

"So... I was thinking about joining the team..." Akira said while staring at another couple of girls who had left the locker room. "Do you think there are still some openings?"

Mari tilted her head slightly, "I could ask..." She then smiled, "What made you want to join all of a sudden?"

Akira stared at her, feeling her face grow a little warm from the thoughts that came to her head. She couldn't tell Mari her true reason; it was too embarrassing, and it wasn't like she could confess that Izaya wanted her to get even closer to the girl. "I just... get bored sometimes and there's not always stuff to do after school and you know it would be nice to get more involved with club activities rather than sit at home." She spoke quickly.

Mari nodded, "I understand." She then motioned for them to leave, "I'll ask on Monday and let you know."

Akira grinned at the petite girl and began to walk, "Yeah I think it would be a nice change to my daily routine." She glanced at Mari, curious if her excuse was plausible but it seemed like the dark haired girl accepted her answer.

"So where are we going?" Mari asked.

Akira looked ahead as they left school grounds, "You'll find out soon"

They chatted about random things on their way to Kimiko's home; during their walk, Akira learned that Mari lived with her mother who worked most of the time and that her father had passed away a year ago. She had gotten a cat several years back when she was younger as a birthday present even though she had never asked for a cat before, but she appreciated the gift. Her favorite things to do during her spare time was to draw and read, but she hadn't really had much time for either of those things apparently.

As they approached Kimiko's place, Akira noticed how Mari was looking around, she must not have visited this part of the residential areas before. These homes were larger and were more modern styled surrounded by stone walls. When they stepped up to one of the houses' walls, Mari looked at Akira curiously.

"Whose house is this?"

Akira just smiled and pressed the buzzer; the gate opened within seconds and they stepped in, making their way to the door only for it to be swung open.

"Good evening ladies." Kimiko appeared in the doorway dressed in a black lace top and a short skirt paired with heeled thigh high boots. "I hope you're ready for a night of fun, Mi-chan."

Mari stared at her and blinked, "Are we playing dress up?"

Akira laughed sheepishly and Kimiko frowned.

"No, silly, we are going out dancing!"

Before the birthday girl could respond, Akira nudged her forward and into the house before shutting the door behind her.

"Did you bring the stuff?" Kimiko looked at her blonde friend.

"It's all in here." She replied while motioning towards her backpack then looked at the unsuspecting girl next to her and smiled.

A few hours passed and Akira watched how Mari transformed from a regular looking high school student into a nightclub attendee. Her hair was curled, her face was made, and her body now had a white halter dress with black heels and accessories.

Kimiko stepped back to admire her handiwork then looked at Akira who had also gotten changed during the birthday girl's transformation.

"I think we're ready."

Akira grinned, "It's been a while since the last time we did this." She was feeling excited in her red and black low-cut top and black skirt. As she admired her outfit in a nearby mirror, she couldn't help but secretly wish that Orihara would show up so that he could see her. Maybe then he would embrace her the way she had always dreamed he would.

"We're meeting the other girls there." Kimiko said as she threw her mini purse strap over her shoulder, "And I've got a car waiting for us outside."

Akira looked at Mari who was examining her new look in the mirror. "Have you ever been to a dance club before?" She asked as Mari turned to face them.

"No, this is my first time." She replied bluntly.

* * *

The sun was gone and the stars were out; the only light surrounding them was that of the moon and street lights.

Kimiko lead them to an alleyway; surrounding the three high school students were four men in suits who had accompanied them in the car on the way to this club.

Standing in the alley was a rather tall and lean man with black messy hair and semi-formal clothes on. He looked the girls and then the men around them before grinning at Kimiko.

"Long time no see Oshiro-San." He said softly, "Having a girls night out?"

Kimiko nodded, "It's Mi-chan's birthday today." She reached over and pulled the oblivious girl over to her side, "The other girls should be here already."

The older man looked down at Mari who simply looked back at him, "And how old is Miss Mi-chan turning?" He sounded rather amused, "Thirteen?"

Kimiko laughed obnoxiously and Akira swallowed dryly as she looked to Mari for a response.

"You're funny." Mari quipped, "What's your name again?" She tilted her head with a cute smile on her face.

"My name is Sato Hiroshi, and you?" He placed a hand on his chest and bowed slightly.

"Hayashi Mari." She replied, "I am eighteen tonight."

Akira watched as Kimiko grew impatient with the small conversation the two were having.

"Can we get inside now? It's getting boring standing here."

"Of course Oshiro-San, anything for you." He stepped aside and opened the door for them, watching as they entered the darkness.

Once inside, Akira followed behind the two teens and could hear the muffled thumping of the music down the dimly lit hall. The last time they had gone out dancing was last year when Kimiko had first developed a business relationship with the owner of another club. They had recently opened this one in efforts to traffic more of a younger crowd to sell their drugs to and also allow people to stay passed midnight so they could party as long as they wanted.

Kimiko opened the next set of doors to reveal the party area; the strobe lights were flashing, the music was bumping and the dance floor was filled with many moving bodies.

From what Akira could see, there were many different people from different places of origin and styles; she couldn't help but feel her heart skip a beat when she saw a fur-trimmed coat among the crowd of people but when the person turned around, it was not who she wanted it to be.

"This way!" Kimiko yelled over the music as best as she could and led them up a set of stairs to the VIP tables where the rest of the girls were sitting and drinking; Rina was there among them.

Akira watched as Kimiko greeted the others and announced their reason for being there before they took a seat.

The blonde then looked at Mari who was sitting next to her, the petite girl seemed to have been examining their surroundings and watching the people below as they danced.

Next thing Akira knew, there was a shot glass in front of her and Kimiko was raising one in the air which resulted in the rest of them doing the same.

"Here's to our newest member." She yelled and grinned at the new girl. "Happy birthday Mi-chan!"

The girls then squealed and cheered before downing their liquor; Akira did the same and looked at Mari who had a rather displeased look on her face after taking the shot.

"Now let's go dance!" One of the girls said excitedly which got the group impatiently moving in their seats.

"Alright let's go then!" Kimiko replied and they all make their way down to the dance floor.

The group that had been there before the three arrived were dancing carelessly to the music; Akira assumed that they had already finished quite a few drinks before they arrived and it was obvious by how they stumbled around trying to keep their balance.

"I'll be right back!" Kimiko was suddenly saying into her ear before disappearing into the moving crowd. The blonde then looked at Mari who seemed to be enjoying herself while dancing with the other girls. She was fitting in just fine without even trying and Akira felt a bit out of place.

All the other young ladies here looked good and were dancing with such confidence that Akira wondered what others were thinking as she stood there trying to find the motivation to dance like everyone else.

As if her mind was read, Kimiko came back with two drinks in her hands; she handed one to Akira and gave the other to Mari who took it without a question.

"Loosen up Zumi-chan!" Kimiko said to Akira as she started to move her hips to the rhythm of the music, "Dance like we used to!"

Akira smiled and downed her drink before mimicking Kimiko's moves, it always took a few drinks before she was capable of feeling comfortable dancing around other people.

She always had daydreamed about coming to a club like this, all dressed up for a fun night by herself without worrying about the others seeing her. She then danced like those pretty girls in the movies which caught the attention of the one man she loved; Orihara, who would take her by the waist and fill her night with the pleasures she so desperately wanted from him.

Kimiko had taken off again but Akira kept moving; she saw that Mari was practically being moved around by the other girls but she had a smile on her face so Akira didn't bother to ask how she was feeling.

Before she knew it Kimiko was back with more drinks and Akira downed hers quickly, feeling as if no one could touch her. No one could judge her for dancing the way she was and throwing her hair around without a care in the world.

A few hours went by and the girls found themselves resting at their VIP table where one of the waitresses started pouring them more shots to take; Akira was already feeling the room spin the longer she sat still but Kimiko kept insisting that they take more and more shots.

After downing the liquor, Akira looked across the table at Mari who was very obviously drunk and trying to converse with Kimiko; before the blonde could say anything, Kimiko stood and took hold of Mari's arm.

"I'm going to take her to the bathroom, be right back!"

Akira watched her friend drag the petite girl behind her; with how much they drank Akira was impressed that Mari had lasted this long considering it was her first time going out like this. For a moment she began to feel bad, but then again, was having to watch her for Orihara such an innocent thing to do as well? They were all having fun, and so it was okay.

"Oh my god I love this song!" One of the girls practically screamed and took off to the dance floor, nearly falling as she did. Akira stood and followed after her with the other girls; her thoughts about Mari began to dissipate as she began to dance and soon enough a few songs had passed and the moving bodies around her eventually faded to black.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **I do not condone underage drinking or looking down on people for their physical appearances/ No one should ever feel like they should change for the sake of others. (just throwing that out there now lol)**

 **These events are happening for plot purposes~**

 **Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello~ Here's another chapter to enjoy!**

 **It's crazy how time flies; I will be another year older in May how exciting (not really) lol**

 **Anyway, I hope you like this chapter... Things are getting very interesting.**

* * *

Chapter 6.

When the first day of May arrived, the only thing that Kimiko could really think about was how much more she would be hearing about Izaya from her best friend due to the fact that his birthday was fast approaching. Little did she know, however, was that Hayate would also be talking about him as well; though not as fondly as Akira.

"So I was thinking…"

Hayate and Kimiko were walking home on that first day of May; the raven-haired teen thought for sure that he was going to bring up their anniversary since it was coming up in an about month. Unfortunately, he had other things on his mind and she found herself unwilling to listen at first.

"If we could find a way to get rid of Orihara for good, then we won't have to worry about him trying to fuck with us after we drop him." Her boyfriend was speaking rather low even though it was just the two of them.

"What did you have in mind?" Asked Kimiko with a bored tone.

"Well…" The redhead looked around before resting his dark gaze on her face, "We could use some of your guys to do the job." He then smiled, "Orihara is so skinny, I think it would only take like one guy, two at most."

Kimiko looked ahead as she thought about this plan of his, "I think it would be worth a try… I know he likes to use knives so maybe a few more guys would ensure his demise."

Hayate suddenly stopped walking and turned Kimiko by the shoulders to face him. "You're the best." He planted a kiss on her forehead, "When do you think we can do it?"

Kimiko couldn't stop smiling after he kissed her, "I'm not sure when but the sooner the better." She could feel the butterflies fluttering about in her chest and stomach. "I know getting rid of him would be best for us and Akira." She sighed, "I've honestly been wanting to ditch him for a while."

Hayate stared at her sympathetically, "Sorry I didn't think of this earlier… I just thought that he was important for our gang until recently." He admitted, "But now that my other half believes that we're better off without him, then I cannot disagree."

Kimiko smiled up at him knowing that he only looked out for her best interests before his own, "I'll talk to my brother tonight and let you know when." She replied before they began to walk again.

Her main motivation with this decision was because she was tired of Akira's obsession with Izaya, he had been stringing her along since middle school and it was time to get rid of him once and for all. The way he exploited her innocence and desire to be accepted was just infuriating; but at the time when all of this had started to happen, all Kimiko could do was encourage her best friend to pursue the older guy… She did now know any better; she was not aware of his motives and manipulative personality, granted, she did not fall for it but Akira was not so lucky, she fell hard.

* * *

"Good evening ladies." Kimiko appeared in the doorway of the entrance to her home, dressed in her favorite black lace top and a short black skirt paired with heeled thigh high boots. "I hope you're ready for a night of fun, Mi-chan." She had been waiting for this evening for a few days now; after getting the idea for Mari's birthday she felt like she couldn't sleep until her new mission was accomplished.

Mari stared at her and blinked, "Are we playing dress up?"

Akira laughed and Kimiko frowned; she hated when that girl feigned stupidity when it was clearly a facade.

"No, silly, we are going out dancing!" She forced a smile that made her cheeks cramp.

Before the birthday girl would respond, Akira nudged her forward and into the house before shutting the door behind her.

"Did you bring the stuff?" Kimiko looked at her blonde friend.

"It's all in here." She replied while motioning towards her backpack then looked at the unsuspecting girl next to her and smiled.

Kimiko had spent a few hours transforming Mari into a decent looking young woman; her hair was curled, her face was made, and her body now had a white halter dress with black heels and accessories.

She stepped back to admire her handiwork then looked at Akira who had also gotten changed during the birthday girl's transformation. "I think we're ready." This act of kindness was simply one of the necessary steps to make for her ultimate goal of ridding herself of the new girl once and for all. If this plan did not work, then she would have to take a more dramatic action, but Kimiko had a feeling that it would not be the case. This plan was foolproof; there would be no way in hell that things wouldn't go as planned considering that she was the only member who knew about it.

"It's been a while since the last time we did this," Akira replied; she was dressed in a red and black low cut top and a black skirt.

"We're meeting the other girls there." Kimiko said as she threw her mini purse strap over her shoulder, "And I've got a car waiting for us outside."

She watched as Akira spoke to Mari briefly and couldn't help but smile at them as she softly tapped her purse, knowing that tonight was going to be a good one, no, a perfect night.

* * *

It was dark by the time they arrived at their destination and Kimiko lead the way to an alleyway, surrounding them were the four men in suits who had also accompanied them in the car on the way to this club; they were suggested to come along by her older brother who had no idea what her plans were for this night, the only thing he knew was that she was going to be having a girl's night out, and being the protective type that he is, he decided that she needed some bodyguards just in case there were any threats.

Standing in the alley was a man who Kimiko knew despite having not seen him in a while; his name is Sato Hiroshi, someone she had met two years ago after their gang had begun to gain some respectable reputation, and they were introduced through Izaya funny enough. He was a charming man who had the perfect personality for his sketchy line of work.

"Long time no see Oshiro-San." He said softly, "Having a girl's night out?"

Kimiko nodded, "It's Mi-chan's birthday today." She reached over and pulled the oblivious girl over to her side, "The other girls should be here already."

The older man looked down at Mari who simply looked back at him, "And how old is Miss Mi-chan turning?" He sounded rather amused, "Thirteen?"

Kimiko laughed at his response; Mari did look pretty young, even with all that makeup on.

"You're funny." Mari quipped, "What's your name again?"

"My name is Sato Hiroshi." He placed a hand on his chest and bowed slightly. "And you?"

"Hayashi Mari." She replied, "I am eighteen tonight."

Kimiko watched as they spoke with witty remarks toward each other before growing impatient. "Can we get inside now? It's getting boring standing here." Regardless of her own unimpressed expression; her heart was fluttering around in her chest, unable to release the anticipation and enthusiasm that she had for tonight's outcome.

"Of course Oshiro-San, anything for you." Hiroshi stepped aside and opened the door for them, watching as they entered the darkness. "Have fun!"

Once inside, Kimiko leads the way down the hall; the muffled thumping of the music grew louder as they approached the door at the end. She opened the entrance to the main dance floor to reveal the party area; the number of people in this club came as no surprise, but it was the main reason why she often avoided going out.

"This way!" Kimiko yelled over the music as best as she could and led them up a set of stairs to the VIP tables where the rest of the girls were sitting and drinking. "Hello, ladies!" She announced their arrival which in turn riled up the group of teens. "We all know why we're here tonight so let's make the best of it!" Kimiko watched as Mari and Akira sat along with the others and she couldn't help but keep her eyes on the birthday girl.

Her plan was simple really, it involved numerous drinks and a really drunk pair of teens. Kimiko herself did not plan on drinking at all in order to keep her mind clear so she could execute her plan perfectly. Once Mari was rid of, the others would be too impaired to realize what had happened, and if any questions arose, then the answer was beyond plausible: She became too drunk, and was sent home.

To get things finally started, she waived over one of the waitresses who set down several shot glasses and started pouring. The smell of the liquor brought back some unpleasant memories of Kimiko's first encounter with alcohol, but after tonight she felt that her relationship with the liquid would get so much better.

"Here's to our newest member," Kimiko yelled as she raised a shot and grinned at Mari. "Happy birthday Mi-chan!"

The girls then squealed and cheered before downing their liquor; the expression on Mari's face made Kimiko laugh; her own shot had been dumped on the floor while no one was looking.

"Now let's go dance!" One of the girls said excitedly which got the group excitedly moving in their seats.

"Alright let's go then!" Kimiko replied and they all make their way down to the dance floor. She followed behind Mari, wanting the night to be over with already but she had to constantly remind herself to be patient. If only someone else could understand the way she felt, and the thoughts that filled her head; to be able to explain her plan to someone else and receive the credit she deserved for such a genius scheme. Unfortunately, though, this extraordinary idea of hers would just pass along as a freak incident that resulted after Kimiko gave the birthday girl the best night of her life; shit happens.

Once they reached the dance floor, it was painfully obvious that the group of young ladies they met up with had already downed quite a few drinks with the way they were dancing, unable to maintain their balance, bumping into others and causing plenty of spilled drinks that they could only laugh about in their drunken stupor.

"I'll be right back!" Kimiko spoke into Akira's ear before making her way through the crowd of dancing bodies; she would be acting as a lackey for the girls to get them comfortable. Especially after the talk that she and Akira had at the cafe when encountering Shizuo did not go as planned; Kimiko didn't need her friend to watch Mari like a hawk tonight.

Kimiko eventually came back with two drinks in her hands; she tipped the bartender rather nicely to fill their drinks with a decent amount of alcohol to get them drunker as quickly as possible.

She handed Mari a drink before looking at her blonde friend who appeared to be tense and gave her the other beverage. "Loosen up Zumi-chan!" Kimiko said to Akira as she started to move her hips to the rhythm of the music, "Dance like we used to!"

Akira smiled and downed her drink before mimicking Kimiko's moves, it always took a few drinks before she was capable of feeling comfortable dancing around other people and the raven-haired teen knew this. Just like old times, Akira was the shy one when it came to social situations like this, but then her best friend would always come to the rescue to make her feel better.

After about thirty or so minutes Kimiko took off again and tipped the same bartender to pour more alcohol in their drinks, returned to hand over the beverages to the two teens; Akira looked like she had begun to loosen up and things were going perfectly so far. Kimiko danced with them a bit longer this time, keeping her honey gaze on Mari and watched as her movements slowly became clumsier; the small girl was definitely intoxicated which was exactly what Kimiko needed her to be, but there was still one more thing that needed to happen before the grand finale.

A few hours went by and the girls found themselves resting at their VIP table where one of the waitresses started pouring them more shots to take; Akira looked as if she didn't want to take any but Kimiko insisted that she drink while retrieving a small baggy from her purse. She then wrapped Mari's hand with her own, placing a pill into her palm and leaned in close.

"Take this, it will make you feel amazing!" She yelled before motioning for Mari to take her shot along with the little treat in her hand. As Kimiko watched, her smile only grew as her victim tossed the pill into her mouth, and downed the shot immediately after without complaining.

This was it, her plan was going to be done and over within a matter of fifteen minutes; of course she planned on getting Mari out of here before the effect of the drug really kicked in, but soon enough Hayashi Mari will be a thing of the past, as has-been who the Red Devils will look back on as a simple: "I wonder what happened to that one girl?" Nothing more than that.

"How are you feeling?" Kimiko yelled in Mari's ear after ten minutes had passed with the group resting their bodies.

The small girl took a moment to reply and her words were not audible, but Kimiko smiled anyway.

"I'm going to take her to the bathroom, be right back!" Kimiko had stood up with Mari's arm in her hand; just as planned, Akira did not seem to care and so she dragged Mari away.

Mari didn't even say anything as Kimiko lead her through the crowd of bodies which meant that she was gone for sure; Kimiko had an insidious smile on her face once they reached a door.

This door, however, was not the door to the bathroom. Instead, it leads back out to the alleyway that they had walked through to get inside of the club. Leaning on the wall next to the door was Hiroshi who looked over at Kimiko and the impaired girl behind her.

"Is she ready?" He asked; a cigarette hanging from his lips.

Kimiko nodded and practically tossed Mari at him, "I don't want to see her ever again." She laughed, "Do what you want, no one is going to miss her."

Hiroshi grinned, "I must say I'm impressed Oshiro-san, you are becoming more and more like your brother every day." He lifted Mari up and over his shoulder, "Did you want any part of the cut we're going to get for her?"

"No thanks." Kimiko waived him off, "Consider this a gift from the Oshiro family."

"Sounds good to me."

Kimiko turned and walked back inside feeling the confidence radiating from her body like heat from the sun; Mari was dealt with for sure this time with people she trusted; there was no way that she would be suspected of her disappearance. When Akira would ask her what had happened, Kimiko would say that she got Mari a ride home due to the fact that she was too drunk to continue their night and what happened to her after she was dropped off would be a mystery to her. Perhaps the small girl walked off somewhere and got abducted or killed? The possibilities were endless!

She strolled over the VIP table and poured herself a few shots and took them, one after another before making her way down to the dance floor with the rest of the girls. Akira was blacked out at this point and Kimiko danced with her and watched the blonde happily. Slowly Kimiko would make sure that Akira would no longer have to think about Orihara and with Mari gone, that was one last thing that her best friend would have to worry about.

"W-where'zz Mi-shan?" Akira had leaned in close and yelled.

Kimiko moved her lips next to Akira's face, "I sent her home in the car." She pulled away and watched as Akira nodded, drunkenly accepting Kimiko's story. "We can still have fun though right?" Kimiko added.

Akira smiled and laughed while nodding again as Kimiko took hold of her hands and spun her around.

Just like old times, it was just the two of them; before Izaya and Hayate, Kimiko had Akira to be themselves. Even though time had corrupted them in different ways, seeing just how happy Akira was at this moment brought Kimiko back to when they were kids; innocent and pure, untouched by the harsh future that life had planned for them.

* * *

Her room was bright and she moved, her stomach became uneasy as thoughts of last night began to form in her pounding head. Kimiko slowly sat up feeling the room spin slightly so she stayed still and glanced around wondering just how late in the day it was. She reached over to her nightstand to retrieve her phone and stared at it; she had no messages or missed calls which were a good thing and she smiled as she recalled the reason why she was out so late last night. Mari was gone now and she no longer had to deal with that nuisance anymore; Akira would probably be upset for a few days for failing Izaya but she would get over it eventually; especially once that informant was out of the picture as well.

The teen got up from her bed and walked to the bathroom, she could smell the alcohol on her skin and nausea only intensified. This was why she didn't enjoy drinking as much as others; she always felt so shitty the day after but this time it was necessary and the outcome was well worth it.

As she settled down in the bath, her phone buzzed and she retrieved it from the side of the tub.

[Thanks for making sure I made it home last night! I had a lot of fun!]

Kimiko smiled at Akira's message.

[Me too! I forgot how much fun clubbing was.]

She slowly washed her arms and waited for a reply.

[I feel like Mi-chan had to leave early, was she okay?]

Kimiko scoffed when she read the blonde's response.

[She was really messed up so I got her a ride home, I'm sure she's fine.]

A ride that would result in her demise; Kimiko laughed to herself at that thought. Hiroshi was in the business of human trafficking; most of the people her group would have to watch would eventually end up in Hiroshi's hands. Izaya was only the one to point out who, and where they would be; most cases the target would not be missed by family or friends. After gaining that information, her crew would befriend and move the individual to the highest paying hands; simple as that. No one would suspect a group of young, and enthusiastic teenagers as a threat, especially the victims that were pointed out; sad, lonely, unwanted.

[Okay good, I would feel bad if something happened to her.]

Kimiko sighed; Akira needed to just forget about Mari already.

[Same here, but I'm sure she's still sleeping right now so give her some time.]

[Yeah you're right, I'll call her later today.]

"You can try," Kimiko spoke out loud followed by a chuckle and she sighed. The thought of Mari being gone now was slowly soothing her headache and she couldn't wait until things started to go back to normal like how it was before that inconvenience had shown up. Her true thoughts of why she hated that new girl so much crept up but she pushed them away, Hayate only had eyes for her and no one else. No need to even think about it, the threat was gone.

* * *

Monday arrived rather quickly and Kimiko knew what to expect; no Mari and a stressed out Akira. The blonde had called her the previous night freaking out over the fact that Mari hadn't answered any of her texts and that she couldn't find her anywhere in the city. The poor thing was so upset that she had started crying over the phone and Kimiko tried her best to calm down her best friend. She told Akira that Mari had probably lost her phone and that she would see her at school the following day, but that wasn't the case.

"She didn't show up today."

Kimiko stared at the worried expression on Akira's face; her bags under her eyes screamed lack of sleep due to bawling all night.

"It's all my fault." Akira sighed, "I should have just got her a gift or something and not let her do something so stupid. She's from a small town and she's not used to the city life."

Kimiko softly rubbed her friend's back, "It's not your fault, I shouldn't have gotten us into the club." She feigned a hurt expression, but the corners of her lips were twitched from being forced down.

"It's not your fault Kimi-chan." Akira hung her head in shame, "I had one job and that was to watch her for Orihara-kun and I couldn't even do that." She wiped her face, "I don't even want to tell him… He's going to hate me."

"What's going on?"

They both looked up to see Hayate; Kimiko was so indulged in the disappearance of Mari that she had neglected to meet up with him during the first part of the day.

"Mi-chan might be missing," Kimiko replied.

"Why?"

Akira struggled to breathe as if bringing up the girl's name had brought back her unpleasant emotions. "We went out Saturday night and none of us have heard from her since."

Hayate blinked with surprise and glanced at Kimiko, "I'm pretty sure she just needed an extra day to recover and she probably lost her phone or something." He laughed a little bit, "With how crazy you girls get while partying, I wouldn't doubt that she just needed an extra day to rest."

"See? Hayate-kun even thinks she's okay." Kimiko said to her friend, "Mi-chan is fine, just wait."

Akira slowly nodded, "I'll wait…" She looked up at Hayate, "Thanks, I just don't want to fail Orihara-kun."

Kimiko looked at Hayate and he met her gaze; the fact that Izaya's little request was so important to Akira was enough for her to want to track down that info broker and get rid of him herself. Unfortunately, she had to wait and get around to speaking to her brother about the situation… She needed his approval first before making any sort of crazy decisions like that.

* * *

"So… From the look on your face at lunch, is it safe to assume that you didn't talk to your brother yet?"

Kimiko had her eyes on the ground as she and Hayate walked home; Akira had ditched school shortly after lunch ended. "No." She sighed, "I had gotten distracted with Mi-chan's birthday."

"I see." Hayate replied, "I know that look you had… You want to hurt Orihara yourself huh?" He smiled over at her when she finally looked at him.

"Of course!" She scoffed, "Akira is blinded by him and is seriously depressed about Mi-chan not being at school today." She shook her head in frustration, "It's crazy! The hold he has on her just pisses me off."

"I understand" The redhead spoke softly, "But once your brother is on board, we won't have to worry about Orihara anymore and you can have your best friend back."

Kimiko smiled at him, "You're right." She straightened her back, "I'll talk to him tonight so we can get the plan going soon."

When the teen got home, though, her brother was not around and she was too busy celebrating the riddance of the oh so beloved Mi-chan. That was until her phone let out a jingle and she danced over to it and opened it; the smile on her face dropped.

The message was from Fujita Rina.

[We need to talk. I know about Saturday night.]

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter; I appreciate any form of acknowledgment haha**

 **Until next time!**


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